Lost In Shadows
by True Ink
Summary: A vampire's body heals quickly. A broken mind however, is something else entirely. This is a story about being lost in the dark, and struggling to find your way back to what you once had. A/N; Sequel to Blood In The Air.
1. Chapter 1

_A/U: Hello people. I'm back… I think. School is starting to slow down just slightly, even though I doubt it will stay that way for long. Well I took the shot and started writing again. And this became the first chapter. It's what I had in mind when I wrote the final chapters on Blood In The Air. A warning though, this is not –at least in the beginning- a light and fluffy story. And Eric is very out of character. _

_A useful thing to know when reading: the things writen in Italic are mostly thoughts, and in some cases memories. Well, except the author notes, which will be written in it as well. But that shouldn't be to confusing.  
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Summary: A vampire's body heals quickly. A broken mind however, is something else entirely. This is a story about being lost in the dark, and struggling to find your way back to what you once had.

__**Warning:** OOC, dark themes. 

_Lost In Shadows -Epilogue_

It hadn't been more than three weeks. Three weeks since he'd woken up from his seemingly endless nightmare, and found himself back in the real world. The first days had just been a blurred fog of voices, comforting and soothing him, and the taste of something old and familiar slowly giving him back his strength. When he finally was able to open his eyes, Eric was sure he had died and come to heaven. Because next to the bed in which he was lying, sat his Sookie. She looked tired. That he had somehow noted. But more than anything else, she looked beautiful.

Eric hadn't really been aware of what was happening, nor what had happened to him before waking up to this beautiful new reality. None of that seemed important. Sookie and Godric were there. How could anything else be important then?

Then the memories started coming back. They came in nightmares, pictures, and voices that only grew worse as the time passed. Russell. The pain. The darkness. The hunger. The helplessness. Eric found himself flinching involuntary whenever Sookie tried to reach out a comforting hand. And when she looked at him with those warm loving eyes, all he could do was turn his own down in shame. He saw the hurt it brought her, and he so badly wanted to make it go away. But he couldn't. And so, he started running instead. He even ran from Godric. They had both tried everything. Silently just be there for him. Ask questions. But he couldn't accept their comfort. The shame in being a victim was too much already. He couldn't bear their pity. And so he ran from them instead. Just like he ran from himself.

**Chapter 1**

Eric watched as the light snow flakes swirled in the wind, coming to land on the already coated branches around him. A few of them found their way to add on the already pretty thick layer of snow covering his body. Hours of just sitting like a stone statue in the freezing air had made his skin cold enough to no longer melt the snow, but even as he was slowly being buried, he had no plans of leaving his hiding place for many hours. From his place in the large pine tree, perched on one of the branches, he had a good view of his surroundings. He liked that. It gave him a sense of being in control, something he lacked of the rest of the time. _Useless, weak pathetic- _ He shook his head violently, pushing the thoughts away. If he let the string of self loathing words continue, it would drive him into doing something to physically hurt himself again. He'd rather not have the events in the bathroom repeated, if not for his own, then at least for Sookie's and Godric's sake. Even though he tried, he would never be able to forget their faces when they'd found him there on the floor. Sookie's tear filled eyes, and Godric's looking like a million years had been added to them. It had taken days before he'd been allowed to be alone again, and he still didn't know where Godric had gone at hiding all the house's knives. The knife had been necessary, as his fangs had yet to grow back. Russell had found great pleasure in tearing them out. The memory of hands bending his mouth open was almost physical, and Eric shook his head again. He wasn't going to think about him. _You won't need these anymore. Open wide._ He squeezed his eyes shut and put his hands over his ears, as if he could shut the voice out. But you can't shut something out if it only exists in your own mind. He launched himself of the branch, and landed in the deep snow. Without a second thought, he began to run. The snow was light and swirled around his legs as he virtually flew over the ground. The landscape passed by in a blur and he increased the speed until his legs started to protest.

Eric ran blindly in circles, letting his legs carry him wherever they wanted until his thoughts were finally clear and he stopped. The voice taunting him in his mind had faded –for now- and the panic disappeared along with it. He looked around, finding himself standing on what appeared to be a frozen, snow covered lake. When no longer being chased by memories, the usual numb hopelessness overtook him again, and he sank to his knees, unable to find the strength to stand up. He stared down at the white surface, and without actually knowing why, he started wiping away the light snow from the ice, revealing the dark mirror underneath. A strange reflection met him. Was that really him? The eyes staring back at him looked tired and the face around them was a bit too thin to appear healthy. He raised a hand and let it travel down his hollowed cheek, needing to feel that the face really belonged to him. It did, and it angered him. He looked pitiful, the blue eyes being too big and hopeless, and his whole appearance fragile. As if he would break at a simple nudge_. _With a frustrated roar, Eric slammed his fists into the ice. It broke like glass under his hands, large cracks spreading out from where the punch had been landed. Water started to make its way up from the depths under the several feet thick ice, quickly pooling around him. Eric tried to force himself to feel that flash of anger again. Even though brief, it had been a moment of relief from the numbness. But the mirror had been cracked, blurred with water, and just as his reflection, Eric sank back into darkness. He slumped down onto the ice, lying on his back in the steadily growing lake of ice cold water. He didn't even feel the cold. He felt nothing. _That's because you are nothing. _Russell's voice came back. _Your body might still be in one piece, but inside, you are dead. _He closed his eyes, fighting. _You can try to run, you can try to hide, but in the end, I will always find you. _

"No," he tried weakly. "Go away. You are not real." Russell's memory laughed at him._ You might have physically escaped me, but I still won. Because I killed you. _He made one last attempt to be strong. _You are dead. _

"Yes." Eric -delirious from cold and exhaustion- broke and gave in to the taunting voice, . "Yes, I'm dead."

_And you deserved to die. Because you are worthless. _

"Yes."

_Tell me you are worthless. _

"I'm worthless." Little by little, Eric felt himself slip away, and instead of feeling nothing, a strange warmth spread through his body. Was it possible for a vampire to freeze to death? _Just let the darkness take you. _Russell's memory cooed in false tenderness. _It will make it all go away. All your pain. All your fear. All your shame. You want it all to go away, don't you?_ Yes, that was what he wanted. It was all fading now, even Russell's voice started to disappear, and a calm acceptance settled in Eric's mind as he let go and sank into darkness.

"Eric." Suddenly, there was another person there, and a pair of arms cradled his weakened form. "My child, what have you done to yourself?" It was Godric's troubled voice speaking, and Eric felt himself slowly being pulled out from the blissful darkness that had enveloped him and promised to take away all his pain as his maker lifted him from the pool of ice cold water. He was brought back to life again as Godric wrapped something warm around him and started rubbing his upper arms and back in an attempt to further warm him up.

"Eric, are you awake?" the older vampire asked worriedly and patted his cheek lightly. "Open your eyes my child." Eric instantly obeyed, it had become a survival instinct. He pressed is eyelids open, and could feel through the bond how his maker instantly was relieved. Godric shifted him slightly in his arms, helping him into sitting position. Eric quickly scooted down from his lap and crawled away until he was at a comfortable distance. Godric didn't make as much as a hurt face over his fear of contact, but simply studied him with gentle eyes, looking for any signs of injury.

"Were you trying to hurt yourself again?"

Eric looked down in shame and pulled Godric's jacket closer around his body, subconsciously trying to hide himself. He wished that he could run away again, but he couldn't seem to remember where he was.

"I- It just happened. I wasn't thinking," he whispered quietly.

"Eric." Godric's soft tone made Eric feel even more ashamed over his weakness. He'd let him down. And he'd let Sookie down. Again. "Eric," Godric repeated. "Look at me." It took all the strength he had, but Eric forced himself to look into his maker's dark eyes. They were filled with so much unconditional love.

"You cannot just move past this," Godric said, "Unless you deal with it, it will crush you." Eric let his gaze slip to his hands again. They had a slightly blue color. He thought about that.

"My child, please talk to me," Godric made a last attempt to reach out to him, but Eric stood up, refusing to meet his maker's eyes again.

"Please just get me home," he mumbled. Godric got to his feet and made a slight nod in acceptance. They started walking over the frozen lake, but Eric couldn't help glancing back towards the dark water and feel a frightening longing to go back to it.

TBC...

_I told you it would be angsty. Next chapter will be in Sookie POV. And we'll continue the angst. But do not despair. Even though this will be a angsty story with dark themes, this chapter not being the worst of it, there will also be love and lots of comfort. Though it will take some time getting there._

_P.S They are still in Sweden. More about that later.  
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_Please review. I really want to hear your thoughts:)  
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	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I'm so glad that you like the story, (because c'mon, if no one likes it, what's the point of publishing)._

_I would like to once again point out the level of angst in this story. Things will be quite depressing for awhile, but I promise that in a few chapters, it will lighten up. So, if you are not a big fan of the angst, hang in there, things will get better. And for the ones who can't get enough of it, there is still plenty to go through._

Chapter 2

Sookie stood by the windows facing the small path that led through the deep snow up to the house's porch. _Still no sign of them._ She glanced at the clock, nervously biting her lip as she discovered that the hour of dawn was approaching eerily quickly. The sun rose late in Sweden during the winter, she had gotten used to that during her stay here. She had missed the warming rays terribly, as the hours with sunlight seemed all too short, but now, when all she wanted was for the sun to stay beyond the horizon, it was as if it rose mockingly fast. Her gaze was drawn to the clock again. The minutes seemed to rush by. The by now familiar knot of worry in her stomach tightened, and her whole body crawled with a restless need to do something constructive about the situation. But there was nothing she could do. Going out looking for Eric herself would be an outrageously stupid idea. Just standing here on the other hand, that would soon drive her crazy, and so, she left the window and started pacing the room instead. But the walls seemed to close in around her, and she abandoned that too. She walked out in the hallway and proceeded up the stairs to the second floor, once again thankful for not being in the small cottage anymore. They had left the eerie little house and traveled some ten miles south as soon as Eric was well enough, and it was a relieve to live somewhere where the roof wasn't about to fall in on you. When she thought about it, she realized that she didn't actually know to whom the house belonged, even though she guessed it was Godric's or Alma's. It really wasn't important. The house was big, had running water and electricity, and a large basement with double locks for the doors to make it safe for Eric and Godric. It was a perfect refuge.

Going back to Bond Temps hadn't been an option, and at the moment, Sookie refused to even think about her hometown. Because she knew that back home, her life stood on hold. And most of her friends, and the little family she had left in Jason, probably thought she was dead. But for now, she couldn't let that be important. The only thing that was important, was Eric. And Sookie gladly would've lived anywhere on the entire planet if it meant it would help Eric heal even the slightest. But right now it all felt so very dark, like everything was going in the completely wrong direction.

She let her mind wander back to those few first days, a sad smile touching her lips. Things had seemed so hopeful then. Sure, Eric had been weak and barely able to move but somehow, he seemed happy. Most of the time, she just watched over him to make sure he was at peace as he slept. Every few hours or so, he woke up and smiled warmly at her, showing that he found solace in her presence. Sookie smiled back and spoke softly to him for awhile and Eric just lay there and looked up at her with a strangely peaceful look on his face. Godric spent many hours with him as well. He made sure to feed him at least twice a day, all while speaking to him in Swedish, and Sookie always left Eric and him alone during this, as she felt that maker and child needed this time all to themselves. She had asked Godric if Eric needed some of her blood, but the vampire had taken her aside and quietly explained that Eric had lost his fangs.

_They've just….fallen out__? _

_No. _

She needed no further explanation. They had both agreed on that it was best for now if Godric was the only one feeding him.

This continued for four days. Then, on the morning on the fifth day, when Sookie had come in to the room in the basement in which Eric slept, she'd found him sitting in the farthest corner in the bed. He had his arms tightly wrapped around himself and was staring with big, frightened eyes at something she couldn't see. His whole body trembled. Sookie froze in the door, the sight frightening her, and once she could move again and carefully approached him, Eric didn't even acknowledge her presence. She asked what was wrong. No answer.

When seeing Eric sit there and look as if he would break, Sookie couldn't help herself. She reached out a hand. Eric's head snapped up, and a split second later, he was at the other end of the room, standing in a corner and pressing himself against the wall. He stared at her for a long moment, and then the fear slowly melted from his eyes, leaving a heart breaking emptiness. Then he looked down at his hands and arms, as if there was something there to see, and mumbled that he needed a shower. Sookie was left with hot tears burning in her eyes as Eric disappeared from the room. She blinked them away and followed out in the main room in the basement, where she found Godric standing, looking after Eric as the younger vampire virtually flew up the stairs.

"I think it's starting to come back to him," he turned to her and said. Sookie's heart sank. Things were about to get harder.

* * *

><p>There was a sound at the door, and Sookie's heart leapt in her chest. She rushed down the stairs and was relieved to finally see Eric and Godric standing in the hallway. Godric closed the door behind them and Eric just stood there, looking terribly lost. The knot in her stomach loosened slightly, only to tighten back up as she saw the water dripping from Eric's hair. His clothes clung tightly to his body, soaking wet, and he was trembling feebly. Sookie had trouble keeping herself from running to him and wrap her arms around him. Though the thought of Eric pushing her away made her stay where she was. She tried to catch his eye instead, but he kept his gaze firmly at the floor.<p>

"What's happened?" she asked, turning to Godric as it seemed like she wouldn't get an answer from Eric. Godric didn't answer, but looked at Eric, who'd started to stir slightly, looking more and more distressed with the situation for every passing second.

"Eric," he said gently, gaining a quick gaze from his child, "Go and put on some dry clothes and get to bed." Eric left quickly, and Sookie couldn't help feeling that familiar sting of hurt over his reluctance to be in the same room as her. _Why won't you let me be there for you?_ _You have always been strong enough for both of us, why won't you let me do the same for you? I know you are broken, but if you just talk to me, I will do everything to make you whole again. _Tears spilled from her eyes, trickling down her cheeks in hot streams. She tried to bite back a sob.

"What happened?" she repeated her question, looking down at her hands.

"I found him in the lake," Godric said. Sookie felt her control wavering.

"What was he trying to do?" she choked out, fearing what the answer might be. Godric was silent. That silence told her everything. Tears poured rapidly down her cheeks, having a will of their own to be evidence of her distress.

"Sookie," Godric laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, "He can't help it."

"I know," she said, wiping away the stubborn tears. "I just wish _I_ could. When the person you love more than anything else in the entire world is withering away before your eyes, what are you suppose to do?" Sookie looked at Godric with tear filled eyes, desperately searching for answers. All the walls that kept her emotions in check were crumbling, and she could feel herself losing grip. She couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't be strong. "What am I suppose to do!" Unable to control herself, she began to sob out loud, and Godric wrapped his arms around her. The gesture surprised her, but she gratefully leaned into his embrace.

"What are _we_ suppose to do," she sobbed into his shoulder. Godric sighed, a completely unneeded exhale of breath, before finally answering.

"I don't know," he whispered. "I just don't know."

_Yes, what should they do? Oh, the angst._

_So, I think I took the important stuff on the top. Oh except this: Alma and Vilda are not in the story at the moment. It will be explained, but I couldn't fit it into this chapter. _

_Now all I want is reviews. I do admit that I'm addicted to them._

_P.s Sorry for the short chapter. But it didn't turn out longer, and I didn't want to force it. _


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you for all the amazing encouragement! I'm sorry I haven't answered on the reviews, I will. Because all of them deserve an answer. I'll try to better myself_

Chapter 3

Eric tried not to listen to Sookie's heart-wrenching sobs where he lay curled up in the bed. He closed his eyes, wishing that he could fall asleep soon. Even the nightmares would be better than to hear her cry, and be unable to comfort her. He tried to force his body to rest. Dawn was close, but it didn't seem to matter. The hopeless sobs echoed in his mind. _This is what you do to her. It's your fault she's crying. _

"No," he tried to protest, even though it sounded more like a plea.

_Well whose fault is it then? _

"I-I don't know," he admitted, feeling that he was once again was losing the endless battle against the imaginary Russell.

_She would be happier without you. _Eric didn't answer this time. _Eric, _Russell coaxed. _Show me that you are listening. _He didn't open his eyes, instead he buried his face in the pillow and started to tell himself that it was all just his imagination. Russell was not there. Russell was not there-

_Look at me. A hand grabbed his hair and forced him out of his hiding place in the pillows. Eric's whole body started to tremble as an instinctual reaction when he saw Russell sitting there on the edge of his bed._

_"Missed me?" Russell smiled sweetly and leaned over him, causing Eric to press himself against the wall in a desperate attempt to get away._

_"Oh don't be like that Eric," Russell cooed and stroked him over the hair, a gesture that made Eric feel sick. He tried to get up, do something to fight back, but his body was frozen in a state of blind panic. Russell's hands moved down his neck, continuing down his shoulders and bare chest. Cold lips were pressed against his throat, but when the bite came, he couldn't even scream. As if the younger vampire was nothing more than a ragdoll in his hands, Russell wrenched Eric into lying position on the bed._

_"I will enjoy this," he whispered, smirking down at the helpless Eric. All though no sound came from his mouth -in his mind, Eric was screaming, begging Russell not to do this. Not again. He was helpless, trapped in a body that didn't obey his mind as it told him over and over again to do something to stop Russell's demanding hands. When the awaited pain came, whatever had held him in such a paralyzed state suddenly released him and with a cry, Eric bolted into sitting position._

And then, Russell was gone. He was alone in his bed, the clothes he'd slept in clinging to his sweaty body. He looked around, trying to reassure himself of that it had all just been another nightmare. The room was empty, but that didn't calm him much. He was trembling, and the sickness he'd felt in the dream was quickly returning. Clutching his stomach, he staggered to his feet. The room began to spin and it was with much effort he managed to get himself to the cellars bathroom. He collapsed in front of the toilet and retched violently, blood spurting from his mouth as his stomach attempted to turn itself inside out. When there was nothing left to throw up, Eric sank down on the floor in a shivering heap. Even though his body was telling him to rest, the only thought left in his mind was that he needed a shower, and so, he ignored the pull of the sun and used the wall for support as he struggled into sitting position. From there, he managed to remove his damp clothes and crawl into the shower. He turned on the water and let it engulf him, feeling how it washed away the blood. The nightmare slowly faded, and Russell's presence was once again forced to the back of his mind.

Eric wrapped his arms around his knees, and for a moment, he could almost relax. With the water steadily pouring over him, he felt less disgusted with himself. Less abused. He sat there, for many long minutes, thoroughly ignoring the bleeds. This small moment of peace was worth the discomfort. Not until the water turned cold, he could bring himself to leave the shower. He found a large towel and wrapped it tightly around himself. Now, he should go back to sleep. Go back to his bed and fall into the nightmares again, back to Russell's waiting arms, and back to feeling over and over again how his body was being abused.

Eric found himself on the floor again, sitting in a corner. He leaned against the wall and tried to find that small flicker of peace again, but failed. He tried to focus on something to keep himself distracted, and found that if he listened closely, he could hear Sookie's breathing from one of the rooms. It was calm and even. She was asleep.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and when it was opened, Eric was surprised to see Godric standing there. The older vampire had a concerned look on his face, and a small lake of blood trailed down from his ears, indicating that this was indeed an hour when vampires were supposed to be asleep.

"You were not feeling well, my child," he stated and came to sit next to Eric, keeping at a distance he knew would not upset the younger vampire. Eric looked down.

"Why are you awake?" He avoided confirming the statement by asking.

"I felt that there was something wrong," Godric said, "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm not okay," Eric mumbled, before quickly pressing his lips together. That was not something he'd planned to say. It had merely been a passing thought. Godric didn't say anything.

"I will… never be okay again," Eric continued, letting his next thought turn into words too. Then it got too hard, and he grew silent again.

"Eric," Godric said softly, and Eric managed to meet his eye for a moment. "I feel, all of your burdens. And I know –even though you have not told me- what Russell did to you. Because I feel how ashamed you are." Eric looked down and closed his eyes. This was too hard. He didn't want Godric to know.

"But even though you may feel like you are broken" his maker continued, "You can get through this. But you will have to let yourself feel. It's painful, but only when you've let yourself feel every single hard emotion to its fullest, you can move on."

"What if I'm not strong enough?" Eric whispered, and felt how something trickled down his cheeks. He hadn't cried since one of those last times he'd woken up in the root cellar, and was startled to realize that that was what he was doing.

"You are," Godric assured, "But when you feel that it's too hard, you will just have to let someone carry you for a while." Eric looked up, feeling the smallest shred of relieve. He'd always trusted Godric, and found that even now, he could find solace in his words. Godric reached out to carefully wipe a tear away from his cheek, and for the first time in weeks, Eric didn't wince at the touch.

_See, we're getting there. We're very far from the actual there, but we're slowly making our way out from some of the doom and gloom. Though there might be setbacks (I'm telling you because I'm evil) _

_So, I struggled a bit with this. I couldn't decide if Godric or Sookie should have that conversation with Eric. But then I figured that when it comes to wise things, Godric is the way to go. Don't worry though, of course there will be LOADS of Eric/Sookie comfort to._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Godric sat quietly next to Eric, studying the red tears that made their way down his face in dark streams. There were no sounds coming from the younger vampire. No sobs. Just those silent tears. He looked so fragile, and all Godric he wanted to do was to take him in his arms and comfort him. Promise that he would never let anything happen to him again. Protect him from everything. Make all the bad memories go away.

"Don't tell Sookie about this," Eric suddenly broke the silence and Godric caught a glance of his red brimmed eyes as he looked up. Even though his heart hadn't beaten in over two thousand years, he could swear it was breaking little by little. Eric's eyes had always been full of life, but now, the blue depths contained nothing but an empty sadness.

"I think she would want to know," he said gently, and instantly lost eye contact with Eric again. "Don't you?" he added.

Eric shook his head, and mumbled, "She doesn't need to know."

"If the roles were reversed, wouldn't you want to be there for her?" he tried again, but Eric didn't answer. He merely shifted uncomfortably and pulled the large towel closer around himself. But Godric didn't actually need an answer. He knew that Eric would do anything for Sookie. But it was a whole different story when he was the one who needed to be cared for.

"Please, promise you won't say anything," Eric's voice broke slightly.

"I promise," Godric soothed, feeling an urgent need to calm his distressed child.

They once again sat in silence, the only sound being heard was the light dripping of blood falling to the stone floor. The dull headache which came along with the bleeds brought nothing but a slight irritation, but Godric still felt that Eric was in a desperate need to sleep.

"Come," he said and stood up, "You need to sleep." Eric did as he was told. It was almost eerie how obedient he was. He quietly followed Godric to the bedroom, and when his maker made a nod to the bed, he sat down, although looking very nervous. After a few seconds of hesitations, he crawled up in the bed and buried himself under the many comforters and blankets, before slipping the towel off from underneath, letting it fall to the floor. Godric walked up to the bed, and sat down on the floor next to it. Eric didn't even have to say anything, because Godric felt it through their bond. He felt that what Eric feared most right now was the silence, and so, he started talking in an attempt to soothe him.

"Do you remember that winter in Sweden, just a few hundred years ago?" he began "It must've been the coldest in centuries, and the snow was probably over four feet deep. We were living here at the time, of course the house wasn't nearly as big back then. And it was terribly cold. Even you thought so, for the first time ever I think." Eric's lip curled in the faintest of smiles, and Godric was happy to feel that he was slowly starting to relax. He smiled to himself and continued, "It was a night with the most amazing star filled sky. We were out, just wandering around. I used to tell you stories about the stars, remember that?"

"Yes," Eric mumbled, barely coherently. His eyes were closed now, his breathing deep and even.

"You could listen to that for hours." Godric had lowered his voice into soft whispers, hoping to lull him to sleep. He kept talking to his child, and after just a few more sentences, Eric's chest rose one last time, before falling and leaving him motionless.

Godric settled on the floor next to Eric's bed. He didn't want to leave him, worrying that he might wake up again, and sleeping on the floor seemed like a decent option. After all, if you had slept in the ground, a floor was comfortable in comparison.

* * *

><p>Sookie felt sleep pulling away slowly, leaving an odd –though familiar- drowsiness. Having a sleeping pattern which made you sleep almost the whole day, and be awake during the night was apparently not very good for you. But she wasn't going to listen to her body in this case. Instead, she sat up and stretched her limbs, forcing it them come to life. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, wondering why she felt so damn tired. After all, she hadn't been awoken by the alarm. Yes, she used an alarm clock. Because those small, normal things –she considered it normal setting an alarm, even if it rang at six PM- helped her. She glanced at the clock, reading 14.00 PM. Despite the early (or should that be late?) she couldn't go back to sleep or stay in this small room, which felt more and more claustrophobic, and she scooted out of bed. Deciding that a shower might help her to wake up, she grabbed a towel and a new set of clothes and left her room to go to the bathroom. She hurried over the cellar's cold stone floor and opened the bathroom door.<p>

There was blood on the floor. A lot of blood. It was sprayed around the toilet, and droplets and small puddles of the crimson liquid colored the tiles in one of the corners. A soon as she'd taken in the scene, an ice cold hand twisted her heart. _Eric. _She virtually flung herself across the hallway to his bedroom and tore the door open.

Eric was sound asleep in the bed, and sprawled on the floor, was Godric, he too dead to the world. Relieve instantly replaced the panic, and a small half laugh escaped Sookie as her breathing functions came back. For a moment, that was all there was. Relieve. Then of course, logic kicked in, and concern formed in her mind. Why had Eric been up in the middle of the day? And could all that blood really have come from a vampire's day bleeds? She pushed the thoughts out of the way for now, deciding that it was better to just talk to Godric later instead of worrying about it for nothing. She allowed herself to feel a shred of happiness instead. Eric had been able to be in the same room as another person for a longer amount of time. She clung to that positive feeling, and didn't allow it to be smothered by the fact that he still couldn't seem to let _her_ be that person. _Don't be silly now Sookie, _she told herself,_ Eric and Godric have been together for a thousand years. Their relationship is different. It's not strange that Eric feels safer with his maker than with anyone else. _She looked at the sleeping Eric, smiling at the thought that maybe, something was finally moving in the right direction.

She closed the door and returned to the bathroom, where she quickly found a rag and started wiping the blood from the floor. _You know that there is something off about your life when you wipe blood from a floor for the umpteenth time._ When the floor was clean, she turned the water on in the shower and let it run hot before shedding her clothes and stepping in under the warming jets. It was tempting to just stay in there forever, but when the water began to turn cold –after just a few minutes, oddly enough- Sookie sighed and emerged from the shower. After wiping herself off and throwing her hair up in a messy bun, she got dressed and left the steamy bathroom. The basement felt even colder than before her shower, and her stomach was rumbling, telling her that she was hungry. After checking the door to Eric's bedroom again, making sure it was closed properly, Sookie jogged up the stairs to the large metal door, which thoroughly separated the basement from the rest of the house. She turned the locks and pushed against it. It gave in with a complaining squeak, and she quickly slunk out and pushed it closed behind her again. The hallway in which she was now standing was dimly lit up by the faint afternoon sun, and she was glad she was awake to feel those last rays. She made her way to the kitchen and fixed some… breakfast. Or dinner. Or lunch. Well, it was food, it didn't really matter what one chose to call it. The choices of meals were pretty limited, as it was a three hours flight –in Godric's vampire speed- to the closest store. Well, there was a small village within just one hour, but going there was not an option. The last thing they needed was the gossip that would most surely start as soon as a new face was seen in such a small place. Furthermore, the chances of finding TruBlood in the local shop of Nowhereville were pretty small.

As Sookie sat at the kitchen table and satisfied her appetite with scrambled eggs, she watched as the last sunrays slowly disappeared in the horizon, leaving a beautiful rosy sky. The snow glimmered on the trees, and Sookie felt that under different circumstances, she could almost grow to love this kind of winter. At least for shorter periods. The sky's color was starting to transform into a darker blue now, and the millions of stars began to appear.

Sookie's gaze was turned away from the window as she suddenly heard the familiar clamoring of the cellar door swinging open, and soon, Godric entered the kitchen.

"Hey there," Sookie said and smiled carefully, "Was your rest good?"

"Yes." Godric nodded, although his thoughtful facial expression told her that he wasn't being honest. She didn't say anything, not sure where to begin. Godric pulled out a TruBlood from the fridge and opened it. Not bothering to heat it up, he took a large gulp of the synthetic blood and walked up to the window, staring absently at the now compact darkness outside. Sookie tried to stay quiet, but those questions from earlier were gnawing in her head, wanting to be answered, and after minutes of silence, she gave up.

"There was blood on the bathroom floor," she said, mentally smacking herself as soon as the statement left her mouth. Godric didn't look at her, but kept his gaze firmly at the distant stars. He seemed to be deep in thoughts, and Sookie went back to being quiet.

"Eric is having nightmares," he finally said, sounding as if every word had been considered for a long time before being spoken. Sookie still didn't know what to say. If she'd had known that vampires could dream, she already would've taken it for granted that Eric had nightmares. It was as far as she knew one of the most common reactions to frightening experiences.

"Did he tell you?" she asked after awhile.

"No. But I can tell," Godric said. He turned away from the window to look at her instead, and added, "And you cannot tell him that I told you. He didn't want me to." Sookie tried not to feel hurt, but didn't quite succeed.

"But I'm telling you, because I think it's for the best," Godric continued. "I'm just trying to find some way to help him." Sookie nodded, taking in his words.

A sharp telephone signal cut through the silence, and Sookie jumped in surprise. The only phone they had was one that had been purchased to be able to contact Pam. It had been said it would be used for emergencies only. Godric disappeared from the kitchen, and a second later, Sookie heard him in the living room.

"Hello." No further introduction was needed, as Pam was the only one who had the number. Silence. Sookie rose from the table and made her way to the living room. Godric was pacing back and forth, a very dark look on his face. He didn't say much as Pam went on on the other side of the line, just an occasional word in Swedish. After several minutes, he uttered, "I'll get back to you." and hung up. Sookie eyed him with worry, feeling that something was up. And indeed, Godric made a frustrated sigh.

"What's wrong?" she blurted out. Godric turned to her, and for once, she could read his face clearly. He was angry. Very angry.

"Nan fucking Flanagan is what is wrong."

Godric had just cursed. Sookie felt that whatever was going on back home, it was definitely something to worry about.

_So, I'm just doing the A/N on the bottom here. Cuz I felt like it;)_

_Thanks for the support you guys. I hope that you note that this chapter is at least 700 words longer than any of the previous ones in this story. That's all for you Please keep it up, because when I sit here in my armchair, and realize that my alarm will start beeping in less than five hours, your reviews are what keeps me going! And in the next chapter, we'll be back in the U.S to see what Pam has been up to.  
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_And now, to something else. Something I've been thinking about a long time. Something that makes me unbelievably nervous. I'm thinking about getting a beta reader. Because I'm sick of sitting and stare blindly at a sentence for minutes, wondering if it's correct. And I really think it would help having someone who's a native speaker read through my work before I post it. And of course I want to become a better writer. Why this thought makes me nervous is a long story about confidence, or rather lack of it, and that I'm not going torture you with. So, here is my question, after a lot of lack of sleep induced rambling: Is there is someone out there who could imagine becoming my beta reader? Or do any of you know someone who might? If you do, and feel that it's worth your time, leave a review of PM me.  
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_Now off to sleep for a few hours. Hugs:)_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hello everybody! Thank you so unexplainably much for the reviews. I feel bad that I haven't thanked you all individually, but I have to give the lame excuse about not having enough time. Since it's the end of the term, I have a million exams and other painful things in school. _

_News for this chapter; beta! Special thanks to LostInSpace33, who agreed to edit this story for me. She's done an amazing job cleaning up my messes, and the remaining mistakes are things I've simply missed to correct. _

_In the beginning of this chapter, we go back a bit, to see what happened back in Shreveport right before Pam's phone call. Then, we'll see what happens in Sweden right after it_.

**Chapter 5**

Pam sat on the throne in Fangtasia, studying her nails with an expression of utter boredom. There were about a million places where she would rather be than here, but she was not about to let the business suffer just because Eric was absent. Her presence seemed to appease the vermin, at least the males. The women on the other hand either looked at her with envy, or fear, and it was quite obvious that they missed mentally undressing Eric.

"I can see you're still playing the role of eye-candy here." The only person in the entire world who could possibly make this night worse had suddenly entered the club. Pam didn't bother resisting the urge to roll her eyes as she turned her head to see Nan Flanagan, accompanied by two stormtrooper lookalikes standing in front of the stage. Her already foul mood dropped several levels at the sight of her. Ever since that wolf attack, Nan had been on her like glue, and it had taken quite a few lies to get out of that situation without revealing anything about Russell's escape. Unfortunately, turned out that it to be a picnic compared to what came next: explaining Eric's sudden disappearance.

In the middle of this whole mess, her bond with Eric came to life. They hadn't shared blood in a very long time, and he was thousands of miles away, so she shouldn't be able to feel him that strongly. Nonetheless, one day, in the middle of her rest, she had been awakened by a jolt of mind numbing pain. It was followed by one more, and one more. The panic came next, and then something she wasn't used to getting from Eric- fear.

When she finally came back to herself, her first instinct was to hop on the first available plane to Sweden and look for her maker. Then, she forced herself to think logically. How was she supposed to find Eric? And if she left, who knew what Nan Flanagan would think? She became unsure, and started doubting the things she'd felt through the bond, and soon, she was almost starting to believe she'd somehow imagined it. So she just forced herself to stay where she was, despite the gnawing unease.

The weeks went by, and that unease grew to downright agony. Not even a second passed without her thoughts being with Eric. She tried to reach out through the bond, but all she found were bits and pieces of feelings. The thing that rescued her sanity in the end was the phone call which came six months, one week and two days after the last time she felt the bond.

She had screamed at Sookie as soon as she'd heard her voice through the phone, that much she remembered. Months of tension released, and she didn't even acknowledge Sookie's desperate attempts to get her message through. When she finally did, Pam was sure that she actually had lost her mind. Because what Sookie was saying made no fucking sense at all. Eric had been kidnapped by Russell Edgington? Sookie had been kidnapped by fairies, and come back to discover she had been gone for six months? Godric had unexplainably been resurrected with help from… some elf? And then they had saved Eric. All this had come out in a tumbling mass of barely coherent words, and had made Pam wish she could reach through the phone and shake Sookie. But after having it all repeated a few times, at least one thing had sunk in: Eric was safe. He was in quite bad shape, but safe nonetheless. Godric was somehow back. And they would be staying in Sweden for awhile. After having these things confirmed, Pam could go back to fending Nan off, fighting to give them the time they needed. Judging by the look on Nan's face, she would have a hard time continuing it for long.

"Ms. Flanagan," she said and stood up to greet the older vampire. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but Nan's frosty expression didn't change the slightest.

"You know exactly why I'm here," she said in a tone that was meant to warn Pam not to push her any further. Pam merely sighed and rolled her eyes again. She was not about to let this bitch get to her. Without a word, she left the stage and walked toward the office. The vermin parted for her, and a few seconds later, she could close the door behind Nan. Apparently, the stormtroopers preferred to stay outside the door to prevent anyone from eavesdropping. Pam moved to stand in front of the desk, leaning nonchalantly against it.

"Six months," Nan started, sounding as if she had a very long speech prepared. "Your maker has been gone for over six months, and during this time, I've been very, very patient because I've had other, more important things to worry about. But the Authority is beginning to wonder where their sheriff is, and it has reached the point where I'm forced to do something about it. The Authority now considers him kidnapped." She studied Pam, waiting for a reaction.

Pam merely raised her eyebrows and said coldly, "Eric is fine. He is on a vacation, that's all."

There was a slight twitch in Nan's cold features. "Don't lie to me," she hissed "I'm not an idiot. Don't you think I realize there's something going on here? Eric doesn't just randomly disappear, even though I actually wish he would. If he just crawled into a hole and died, it would spare me a lot of trouble. But now, instead of a dead sheriff whom I can permanently replace, I'm stuck with a _missing _sheriff whom I have to _find._"

"Are you trying to make a point," Pam sighed, hiding her unease perfectly. "Or are you just rambling?" Nan's icy exterior fell back into place and, she folded her arms together.

"Well, since you are so sure your maker is okay, it shouldn't be a problem getting him back home. By the end of the week, I want to see Eric Northman in this office," she said with an almost scornful smile, "And he will have a lot of explaining to do." With that, she turned on her heel and swept out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her.

Pam just stood there, staring at the door. Picking up the closest thing at hand –which turned out to be her laptop- she threw it into the wall with a frustrated roar. A chair soon followed it, smashing into a million pieces as it crashed into the compact surface. Before Pam was able to calm down, several books, penholders and a small bookshelf had met their deaths in the same way. As she grabbed her cell phone, preparing to crush that too, control finally came back to her. Instead of following her first instinct, she dialed the number she had been directed by Godric to use to get hold of him. The beeping sound started, and she waited impatiently. Finally, someone picked up.

* * *

><p>Eric reluctantly opened his eyes and sat up in the bed, gathering the comforter up around his body to keep himself covered. He looked around, examining his surroundings as an old habit of making sure he was alone. When he was safe with the knowledge that there was no one there who could hurt him, he relaxed slightly and scooted up in his favorite corner of the bed, leaning against the wall. Godric was no longer in the room, and strangely enough, Eric felt that he missed his presence. When his maker had sat next to his bed and talked to him, he'd felt safe for the first time in so long. He could close his eyes and pretend that those memories were his reality.<p>

After a few minutes, he became restless just sitting there. He scooted out of the bed, still wrapped up in a sheet, and went to the closet to find some clothes. After pulling on a large sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, he left the room and made his way towards the stairs. He took the first ten steps without any hesitation, but as he stood on the last one, his legs just stopped, and he had to take a deep breath before he could continue out in the hallway.

Sookie and Godric were in the living room, discussing something in low voices. Eric was pretty sure it had to do with him, and for a moment he considered just leaving before they noticed he was up. The front door looked very tempting…

"Eric." Godric was standing in the door entrance, and Eric quickly felt his chances of escaping disappear.

"We need to talk to you about something," his maker said. Eric's heart sank, though he didn't protest. Instead, he just nodded and followed Godric into the living room. Sookie was sitting on the couch, and despite his mind's protests, Eric moved to sit next to her._ Too close. You know what happens when you are too close to someone? You will get hurt- _he smothered the voiceand folded his legs together under him, wrapping his arms around himself, to keep from fidgeting. Sookie smiled warmly and looked encouragingly at him. Her smile took away some of the uncertainty, and for a moment, he could meet her eyes.

Godric, who had placed himself in an armchair, spoke. "Eric, I'm not sure how to say this." Silence. He tried to stay somewhat calm.

"We might have to go home sooner than we had planned."

Eric stared sternly at his legs, and his hands seemed to be grasping his sides harder than before. "Why?"

"There-" Godric cut himself off, and Eric did not like it one bit. Godric always knew what to say. He glanced up, and saw his maker and Sookie exchange a look. "Nan Flanagan is being very persistent about seeing you. We have to be back in Shreveport by the end of the week." Now his eyes snapped up in mere shock. He stared at Godric, and then at Sookie, hoping that he had somehow misunderstood the situation.

"It'll be okay," Sookie said in her most gentle tone, curving her lips in a careful smile, "You know how Nan is. She's just doing her normal thing, trying to mess with people's lives. It's nothing to worry about." Eric barely heard her. All sounds were quickly drowning in a loud noise that filled his ears. Nan Flanagan meant that the Authority would be involved. Or the Magister. And the Magister…. liked to tie people down with silver and torture them until they were ready to confess anything, whether they had done it or not. Months earlier, pain hadn't been something he feared. Hard enough to endure yes, but afterward, he would heal and forget about it. Now, the mere thought of having to feel the sting of silver against his skin, being tied down and helpless, was enough to make his breathing come in short gasps. _You remember how it was don't you? Lying on that cold stone floor, unable to move or even try to defend yourself. Scream until you had no voice left, and until all you could do was beg to die? _Cold sweat formed on his brow and he began to tremble. Darkness was starting to cloud his vision.

"Eric," Sookie said, "Are you okay?" No, he wasn't okay. He was a pathetic wreck.

"I'm fine," he said, struggling to keep his voice calm. "I just need some air." Before either of them could protest, he had left the room. A moment later, Sookie and Godric heard the front door slam.

_A/N: I'm sorry for the angsty ending. I had planned to put another scene in, but I decided to save it for the next chapter instead. Eric and Sookie will get some alone time, I think they need it. _

_Review, share your thoughts_:)


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Finally done! God I struggle with this In fact, I'm struggling with all my writing right now. Frustration *slams head into desk*. Well, I'm going away for Christmas, so I'll have a break from it all. Hopefully things will work out…._

_Anyway, here comes a total hurt/comfort chapter. Just that, no real progress in the plot, but necessary nonetheless:) Hope you will enjoy! (Sorry, I know it's short… but… it just turned out that way)_

**Chapter 6**

_"Eric," Sookie said, "Are you okay?" No, he wasn't okay. He was a pathetic wreck._

_"I'm fine," he said, struggling to keep his voice calm. "I just need some air." Before either of them could protest, he had left the room. A moment later, Sookie and Godric heard the front door slam._

Sookie just stared after Eric, torn between her wish to run after him, and her brain telling her he could be a mile away by now if he'd set out to be left alone. She turned to Godric, looking for answers.

"He's outside," the vampire said. "On the porch. You should go to him."

"I don't think he would like that," she mumbled.

"You've got to have some faith in him," Godric pointed out. "And yourself," he added. Sookie hesitated for another moment before getting over herself and making her way out in the hallway.

She put on the large tent looking coat and pushed the heavy door open, stepping out in the cold night. Just like Godric had said, she found Eric on the porch, standing in the farthest corner of it with his back facing her. She noted that he wasn't wearing any shoes, and couldn't help shuddering at the sight of his bare feet.

"Hey," she said carefully, hoping she wouldn't startle him. Eric turned around, giving her a quick unreadable look, before looking away again. Guessing that it was the only acknowledgement she would get at the moment, Sookie walked up to him.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine," Eric answered, avoiding looking at her. Sookie wasn't sure what she'd expected. Had she really thought he would open up to her just like that? She decided to not push the matter any further, and just stay there and keep him company. Her mouth wasn't agreeing, because suddenly, she heard herself saying. "No you're not. You are trying to ignore what you are feeling, and it's hurting you." She quickly silenced herself, biting her tongue to keep herself from continuing this unexpected outburst. Eric didn't say anything, he didn't even look at her, and after another long minute of silence, Sookie chocked back a sob and turned to leave.

"Wait." She felt a hand on her shoulder and stopped. "I'm sorry," Eric said and when she turned around to face him, the empty look in his eyes had finally melted.

"I'm sorry," he repeated and let his hand fall from her shoulder. He looked lost, clearly not knowing what to do next. Sookie didn't know what to do either, and as her brain wasn't giving her any answers, she followed her instincts by wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him into a warm embrace. For a moment Eric's whole body froze against her and Sookie feared he would push her away, but then, she felt how he hesitantly hugged her back. It was a bit stiff, but Sookie felt like it was the best hug she'd ever experienced.

"Don't be sorry," she mumbled into his chest. "Don't ever be sorry about what you feel."

Eric didn't answer, but he buried his face in her hair and held her closer, something she took as silent gratitude for her words.

"You are cold," he suddenly stated and pulled out from their embrace. Sookie hadn't noticed, but when having it pointed out, she felt herself trembling slightly. Apparently the coat wasn't warm enough for this temperature; she was freezing.

"Maybe you should get inside." Eric sounded concerned, but even though it sounded tempting, Sookie shook her head. She wasn't about to leave him when he'd finally opened up slightly to her.

"You'll catch a cold," he said with a faint smile.

"What about you?" She gestured to his bare feet. "Aren't you cold?"

"I'll come in soon," he waved it off and turned around to look at the same dark scenery she'd found him studying before.

Sookie realized that maybe he wanted to be alone for awhile, after all this was the longest conversation they'd had in weeks and she didn't want to push him too much. Deciding to let him be for now, she turned to leave. Before she got the chance to open the door though, Godric came out onto the porch.

"Oh... hey," she said, taken slightly aback by his sudden appearance.

"Are you going somewhere Godric?" Eric asked his maker, a questioning look on his face. Sookie felt like the two vampires were already in the middle of some kind of silent conversation because Godric nodded as if Eric's question had been awaited.

"I'm going up to the mountains, to the old farm," he said. "With Nan Flanagan involved you never know what to expect. I'm going to make sure there is no evidence of-" he cut himself off, noticing that Eric had gotten a haunted look in his eyes. "I will make sure it can't be connected with us," he changed, trying to calm his child. Eric nodded.

"Will you be back before dawn?"

"No, I will find somewhere safe to go to ground," Godric said. "But I'll be back tomorrow. In the meantime, promise me you'll take care of each other." Sookie had to smile at how much he sounded like a father.

"Of course," she said, and Eric gave his maker a nod. Satisfied with this answer, Godric smiled at them both, before disappearing from the porch in a blur.

* * *

><p>Sookie was once again lying in alone in her bed, tossing and turning. Despite being completely exhausted from being up all night, she couldn't sleep. Her head was too crowded with thoughts, and every time she closed her eyes, they seemed to attack her, preventing her from relaxing. She should be used to sleeping alone by now, but no, that was apparently not going to happen. It was probably for the best though, that Eric continued to sleep in another room for a while longer. He was still very dubious of physical contact, and she didn't want to rush things. Their embrace on the porch had been a step in the right direction, and she wasn't about to spoil that by trying to force him into something he wasn't ready for.<p>

After almost an hour, she finally felt herself slipping away, and a relieving fog settled over her thoughts. She closed her eyes and was about to let sleep take her when she heard soft footsteps approaching. Believing that it was some kind of dream in her half dormancy, she ignored it, but when the sound of her bedroom door opening was heard, she opened her eyes.

"Eric?" she mumbled and blinked, surprised to see the blond vampire standing on the threshold. Sookie blinked again, trying to wake up; surely, she was dreaming. Eric looked uncertainly at her.

"I had a nightmare," he muttered, his tone indicating that he wasn't fully awake. "Can I sleep here with you?"

"Of course," she said softly and patted the spot next to her. "Come here." Eric hesitated for a moment, before slowly making his way to her bed. He crawled in under the comforter and laid his head next to hers on the pillow. His eyes instantly closed and a serene expression settled on his face. Believing that the vampire was asleep, Sookie gently threaded her fingers through his messy blond hair. Almost instantly, Eric became uneasy and began to stir.

"Shh," she soothed. "It's okay, it's just me." At the sound of her voice, Eric relaxed again, and soon, his breathing had ceased and he was truly sleeping. Sookie continued stroking his hair while studying his peaceful features. It wasn't until now, that she realized how much she'd missed this, just watching him sleep, and she lay awake for quite a while before her eyelids refused to stay open and she found herself drifting off.

A sharp gasp followed by faint mumbling awoke her, and she shot up into a sitting position, even as her brain still was dazed. _How long had she been asleep? What was that noise? _Looking down at the vampire sleeping by her side, Sookie discovered that he was the one making the distressed sounds. Eric's beautiful face was contorted in a pained grimace, and he was writhing and mumbling incoherently.

"Eric," she said softly and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to still his thrashing. "Calm down sweetie, you're just having a nightmare." Eric's eyes opened half way, and he gazed up at her, looking very confused. He sat up, but didn't seem to realize where he was.

"Is it my fault?" he blurted out, still with a dazed look in his eyes.

"Is what your fault?" Sookie asked, keeping her tone gentle as she guided him to lie down again. Eric didn't fight her, but slumped back against the pillows.

"Everything," he said, as if that would explain.

"No sweetie, it's not your fault." Sookie realized that she wasn't making any sense, but then again, neither was Eric. He was obviously still trapped in the nightmare, and the best she could do was to simply try keeping him calm. "Nothing is your fault. Now go back to sleep."

"He won't stop hurting me," Eric mumbled, blinking as he tried to force his eyes to stay open. "Isn't that my fault?" There was something in his insecure tone that made Sookie forget all about her previous decision of taking things slow. She wrapped her arms closely around her vampire and cradled his head against her chest. To her relief, he relaxed in her embrace.

"It's not your fault," she repeated and slowly ran her fingers through his hair. "And he can't hurt you anymore." Eric made a faint sound, as if he was going to protest, but it turned into a shallow sigh as he closed his eyes and sank further into her arms. Sookie found herself relaxing as well, and as soon as she felt that Eric was sleeping, exhaustion overtook her, and she fell into her own deep slumber.

_Thank you LostInSpace33 for the amazing beta reading! _

_Review! And Merry Christmas to all of you_:) 3_  
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_Review please! _


	7. Chapter 7

_Hello again. I hope you all had a nicer Christmas/New year's eve than me;) After a crazy holiday, during which I managed both getting sick and pulling a knee half way out of its socket during a skiing accident, I'm finally back to writing. I'm playing the sympathy card to apologize for the short fill-in chapter;) A longer, more interesting one is coming soon, if I just can get my bitchy muse to cooperate. She's been a complete pain in the ass lately…_

_As always, I'm endlessly grateful for your reviews, and for my beta, LostInSpace33, who does an amazing job editing. Any mistakes are entirely mine:) _

**Chapter 7**

Eric woke up almost an hour after the sun had set, feeling more rested than he had in weeks. He was snuggled up against a warm chest, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Sookie's beautiful face. She was still sleeping, and he lay there in her arms for a while, just listening to the calming sound of her heartbeat. For a moment of blissfulness, a feeling of being completely at peace rested in his body. It was as if the time had been turned back seven months, and everything was perfect again. Then, he started to think, and wondered _why _he was lying here in Sookie's bed; because he was sure he'd gone to rest in his own. He suddenly remembered the nightmare, and how, delirious from exhaustion, he'd dragged himself to Sookie's room, the only thought in his mind being that he couldn't be alone. Now, it felt childish and stupid. He sat up and tried to swallow down the shame, angry with himself for being so weak. Why did Sookie even put up with him? Because she loved him. And he loved her.

_But all you are doing is hurting her. She deserves someone better than you. _

Eric shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind from voices. Sookie did deserve someone better. Someone who could hold her, make her feel loved. And he couldn't be that someone, even though he desperately wished he could.

_She would be better off without you, you know that right? She doesn't need you, it's you who needs her. _

He stood up and closed his eyes, wishing that he could think clearly. Nothing worked. He needed time to think, and he couldn't seem to do that in this room. The walls were closing in on him.

He found himself a piece of paper, and scrabbled down a quick message, placing it on the nightstand. He let his eyes linger on Sookie's sleeping form for moment, before turning around and disappearing in vampire speed.

_Sookie blinked in the strong light from the blazing sun, shielding her eyes with her hand in an attempt to see her surroundings. She was standing on the lawn in front of her house, her own family home back in Bond Temps. It looked just like she remembered it, and she smiled widely_

_In the distant, she could make out a figure sitting in the grass. She narrowed her eyes, trying to determine who it was, and saw that it was Eric sitting there. His hair seemed golden in the sunrays, but she barely noted it as panic surged through her. _

"_Eric!" she called as she ran towards him. "You have to get out of the sunlight!" Eric turned his head towards her and smiled brightly, not showing any signs of discomfort from the blazing sun. Although Sookie had longed for so long to see that smile again, she couldn't think of anything but getting the vampire away from the sun before he started to burn. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but when she was almost by Eric's side, her way was blocked by thick silver bars. They appeared out of nowhere, and surrounded him like a cage. _

"_What the-" She hissed angrily and grabbed the bars, shaking them as if they would give in and break. Of course she had no such luck. Her heart raced in panic, and her thoughts ran wild as she tried to figure out how to get past them. Eric on the other hand, didn't seem bothered by his imprisonment at all. He had settled on his back in the grass and closed his eyes, looking very much like he was sunbathing. _

"_Eric!" Sookie yelled and shook the bars again. "You might catch on fire any second! Help me figure out how to get this fucking cage to go away!" Eric opened one eye and peered at her, smirking crookedly. _

"_Nah," he then said and closed the eye again. "I'm fine." Sookie gritted her teeth in frustration and let out an angry cry. _

"_You are now!" she hissed. "But you won't stay that way!" Eric just chuckled and continued to ignore her desperate attempts to make him realize the severity of the situation. As Sookie realized that just standing here and shake the bars like an idiot wouldn't do any good, she began to frantically investigate the cage, looking for an opening. Her heart skipped a beat as she found a keyhole and a door, they too having appeared just as suddenly as the cage itself. Now she needed a key… Something inside the cage caught her eye. Glimmering in the sunlight was just that, a key. _

"_Eric," she said eagerly and patted her palm against the bars in an attempt to get his attention. Eric lazily turned his head towards her and opened his eyes slightly. _

"_There is a key there." Sooke pointed right next to him, where the small object was located. "Give it to me so I can get you out." Eric gave the key a nonchalant glance, before settling back in the grass. _

"_I'm fine," he repeated. "There is no need for you to get in here." Sookie could have exploded in sheer frustration right then. Of all the idiotic, stubborn…_

"_Eric," she said sternly. "Let. Me. In. NOW!" Eric just smiled again, not even bothering to look at her this time. The next moment, a patch of his skin began to blister. It started like a small spot, but spread quickly, and in only seconds, his whole shoulder looked like charcoal. Sookie panicked. _

"_Eric, you have to let me in. You are burning!" The vampire wasn't even reacting to his body burning, but still had a relaxed expression on his face. He kept his eyes closed and repeated: _

"_I'm fine."_

"_Stop saying you are fine!" Sookie shouted, losing it completely as the burns spread over Eric's neck. "You are not fine! You are dying! Just- try to give me the key. Please, before it's to late!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks, as Eric made no movement. Flames licked his body as the black, charred skin burned. She couldn't see his face anymore, and her shoulders shook in helpless sobs as she pushed against the bars again. _

"_No, no… Eric…"_

She awoke with a scream and sat up sharply in the bed, struggling against the sheets tangled around her body. Her breathing came in short gasps and her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. She looked around, discovering that she was in her usual underground bedroom. There was no sun, no silver cage, and no Eric. After another moment of panic, she discovered a note on the nightstand.

_Out for a run. Will be back soon._

_E_

With a long sigh, Sookie slumped back against the pillows and closed her eyes. It had just been a nightmare, everything was okay. She tried to convince herself of this, but the feeling the dream had left her with wouldn't go away. It had been all to similar to the ones she'd had a few months ago, the dreams that Claudine told her could "mean" something. She sure hoped this one was just a weird nightmare, with no message about the future whatsoever… Unfortunately, all she could do was wait and see, and try to stay positive. Maybe things had taken a turn for the better now. She could only hope that going back to Bond Temps wasn't a horrible mistake. But why should it be? After all, Eric had lived in Louisiana for… God knew how long, and it was familiar territory. There was a lot of comfort to find in everyday life. She'd discovered that after her Gran's death. Surely, it could help Eric, too. It seemed logical, and not to farfetched, yet Sookie couldn't ignore the unease growing in her mind as she thought of their upcoming return to Bond Temps.

She lay there in the bed for a long time, trying sort out her thoughts without much success, when suddenly, footsteps approached. Someone knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in." Sookie sat up in the bed and the door was opened by none other than Godric.

"You're back," she said and smiled. It felt calming to have Godric in the house again, someone who most of the time seemed to have all the answers. And answers were something Sookie felt that she usually lacked. Godric nodded in response.

"Eric is out." Sookie held up the note, "He left me this." The vampire nodded again, looking slightly absent.

"I've arranged a car for the ride down to Stockholm," he then said. I figured it was for the best. It's a little too far to fly."

Sookie didn't bother asking about the car, it didn't seem important. "When are we leaving?" she asked instead.

"As soon as the sun sets tomorrow," Godric replied. "Eric will need some time settling in back in Shreveport if he's going to be in any shape to meet Nan by the end of the week." His face didn't reveal any feelings, but Sookie could hear in his voice that he was as suspicious about Nan as she was. In fact, she hated the thought of Eric having to deal with anything other getting back on his feet.

"I really don't like it," she stated and furrowed her brow.

"Neither do I," Godric sighed. "I honestly don't think Eric can handle her right now."

"And there is nothing we can do?"

"I will try to sort it out with Flanagan myself," he answered. "But we don't exactly get along. I doubt she will be satisfied with anything less than a meeting with Eric. Nonetheless, I will do everything I can to prevent that."

"What is it that she really wants?" Sookie wondered out aloud. "Think she's up to something?"

"Nan is always up to something," Godric said. "Hopefully, we can figure out what it is before she manages to do too much damage."

"God, she really is a bitch," Sookie mumbled, dropping the first words that popped in to her mind. Godric chuckled slightly at this.

"I would have to agree with that."

_Are Sookie's vision dreams back? Are they trying to tell her something? _

_Bond Temps next. They are coming back to a plotting Nan… and what more? Witches? New kings? A lost OC is coming to join us again, that's for sure. And for the rest you will just have to wait and see…_


	8. Chapter 8

__A/U added: There is clearly something wrong with the site at the moment, because I've had to reload this chapter two times, and now it has disappeared again! I'm extremely frustrated at the moment. Hopefully, it will work this third time...

_I probably had something important to say in this author note, but due to the late hour, most decent thoughts have disappeared from my head. I'll just thank you for your reviews, encourage you keep it up since I'm openly addicted to them, and give my beta LostInSpace33 a huge thanks for the editing. Any remaining mistakes are of course my own._

**Chapter 8**

Godric studied Eric in the rearview mirror, wondering if he was really asleep or just resting. His child was lying on the backseat of the car with his eyes closed, and had been in this position for at least two hours now. Godric wasn't sure if vampires could sleep during the night. It wasn't something he'd heard of, but then again, Eric hadn't gotten much sleep the latest days, so maybe it was good if he rested.

"Do you think he's sleeping?" Sookie asked, managing to startle him slightly. She had been asleep just seconds ago. He turned his eyes back to the road and concentrated briefly on the snow-covered surface.

"I think so," he answered after making sure he had things in control. Sookie turned to study Eric.

"There's something he's not telling me," she mumbled and leaned her forehead against the cold window. Godric was silent.

"Or, he's not really telling me anything," she continued her monologue, sounding like she was talking mostly to herself. "I'm trying so hard to make him open up, but I just can't seem to reach that thing deep inside him that causes him so much pain. I'm starting to lose hope."

"Didn't you two talk the other night?" Godric asked, trying to make Sookie see that even though the progress was slow, it was there. He didn't want to admit to himself that he too felt a bit distraught at the moment. They couldn't afford losing hope.

"Yes," Sookie replied quietly, drawing patterns with her finger in the mist on the window. "I just had this dream and…" she trailed off and sighed.

"Sookie-" Godric was interrupted by a loud gasp from the back of the car. Eric had sat up and was looking around, obviously confused.

"_Calm down Eric_," he soothed in Swedish. "_Everything is okay_." Eric just stared at him.

"_Are the doors locked?"_ He suddenly asked.

"_No_," Godric answered, not bothering to ask why Eric wanted to know this.

"Bra," Eric mumbled and sank back onto the seat, closing his eyes again. Godric kept an eye on him until he felt through the bond that his child was calm.

"What happened?" Sookie asked and looked worriedly from him to the once again sleeping Eric. "What did he say?"

"He wondered if the doors were locked," Godric answered simply. Sookie frowned and studied Eric thoughtfully for a moment, before settling her head back against the back of her seat.

"What were we talking about?"

"You were about to tell me about a dream you had," he reminded her.

"Oh that," Sookie muttered absently. "That was… probably nothing." Godric wasn't sure if believed that, but he decided to let Sookie be for now. If she wanted to she could always tell him about it later.

They spent the rest of the journey almost completely silence. Sookie dozed off once in awhile, and Godric was occupied with his own thoughts. When you can do nothing but sit and stare at a road, you get a lot of time to think, and he used it to try and figure out how to handle the problem with Nan Flanagan. Despite his best efforts, all he could think of was to keep Eric away from her. The fact was, he had to keep Eric away from… basically everything. Godric wasn't sure how his child would react to being around other people, if his fragile mind would hold.

About an hour before sunrise, Godric drove the car along the small, bumpy road leading towards Vilda's house. It was only barely the car could move forward in the deep snow, but after a few minutes, he could stop safely by the gate to the old house imbedded in snow-covered trees.

Sookie awoke with a start as the car stopped.

"Are we there now?" she said and looked around, still a bit dazed. Godric nodded and emerged from the car, going to the back to wake Eric. Sookie climbed out too, hugging herself in an attempt to keep the cold away.

"Go inside, Sookie," Godric told the shuddering girl. "You'll catch a cold." Sookie hesitated and glanced at the still sleeping Eric, a small wrinkle of concern between her eyebrows. Though as a particularly hard wind went by, she gave in to the weather and started to move towards the gate, struggling against the deep snow. Godric looked after her for a moment, making sure she made it up to the house safely, and didn't release her blonde figure until she was almost by the porch. He turned back to the car and crouched down by Eric's head.

"Eric," he said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Wake up." The younger vampire stirred slightly, making a distressed sound, and Godric withdrew his hand as he opened his eyes. Eric eyed him in confusion for a moment, before sitting up.

"How do you feel?" Godric asked and straightened up, studying his child in an attempt to read his emotions. Eric's face was blank.

"I'm okay. Just tired," Eric replied and climbed out of the car, gripping tightly onto the roof for support as he swayed slightly. Godric resisted the urge to wrap an arm around him to steady him. They started walking towards the house.

"How do you feel about going back home?" Godric asked.

"I don't know," Eric shrugged. "It feels… surreal I guess."

"At least you'll get to see Pam again."

Eric just nodded absently and Godric dropped the subject. Eric was more closed off than usual, and there wasn't much point in trying to make him talk then.

They walked in silence, making their way through the snow. The green front door creaked as it swung open, inviting them into the warm hallway.

In the living room Sookie was sitting on the couch, wrapped in a large blanket and nursing an oversized cup of tea. Vilda herself was perched on the armrest, but at the sound of the door slamming, she stood up and came to greet both vampires. Godric instantly noticed how Eric grew uneasy by his side. That did not bode well.

"Hi," Vilda said, studying them both thoughtfully.

"Hi," Eric answered quietly, before moving past her to sit on the couch, looking distressed. The sinking feeling in Godric's chest increased. If Eric reacted like this to being around someone he'd always trusted before, how would things turn out when they were back home? Luckily, Sookie seemed to know how to handle the situation. She crawled up to Eric's side, and carefully placed the blanket around his shoulders, rubbing his arm in a soothing manner. Eric tensed briefly, but when she started speaking softly to him, he relaxed a fraction.

"Godric," Vilda laid a hand on his shoulder, and he turned his attention back to the elf, who nodded towards the kitchen. They quietly left the hallway and Vilda closed the kitchen door behind them. Still without saying a word, she went to the fridge and pulled out a TruBlood and a cartoon of milk. After popping the synthetic blood in the microwave and pouring hot water from a kettle into a teacup, she sat down at the kitchen table. They stayed silent as the blood heated up, and not until the microwave had beeped and Vilda had placed the TruBlood in front of Godric, and the teacup in front of herself, she spoke.

"Something tells me things have been rough."

And Godric began to talk. Everything just poured out of him in a long string of barely coherent sentences. He told her about how he'd found Eric lifeless on the frozen lake. How Eric had hurt himself. And how he was slowly withering away in front of his eyes. Vilda didn't ask any questions, just sat there and listened.

"And it feels like I can't do anything to help him," Godric finished off, taking a gulp of the TruBlood just to calm himself. Vilda swallowed a mouthful of tea, taking in what she'd just heard.

"First of all, I think Eric needs a psychologist," she said calmly, after contemplating for a while. "He's been through too much for his mind to handle. What he needs is help from a professional."

"Getting Eric to a psychologist would be close to impossible," Godric said. "And I'm not sure I'm to keen on that idea either."

"You don't want anyone to mess with his head?" Vilda suggested, and he nodded. "One has to be a pretty horrible person to take advantage of a traumatized rape victim. I can't imagine how any psychologist with self respect would do that."

"You'd be surprised."

"Hey, don't be so cynical."

"Don't be so naïve," Godric retorted, although his tone was far from scolding. Vilda smiled slightly.

"I'm perfectly happy living in my pink bubble thank you," she said. "But seriously, you really should consider getting him help. I've studied psychology and I have some contacts. I'm sure I could find someone trustworthy. If you don't mind me tagging along back to Louisiana of course."

"Would you really abandon Sweden just for that?" Godric wondered. "Even if only for a while?"

"Of course I would. I'd do anything to help you out," Vilda assured him. "Besides, it would be nice to find a few new trees to converse with. And I've been thinking of visiting an old friend there anyway."

"Another elf?"

"No. She's a…" a thoughtful look settled on Vilda's features as she searched for the right word. "I guess you could say she's a witch." Godric frowned in suspicion.

"I'm not sure I like that. Witchcraft is not something one should play with."

Vilda merely rolled her eyes. "Marnie is the kindest woman I know. She wouldn't' hurt a fly, and when it comes to her knowledge of magic, it doesn't stretch beyond how to cure cold with herbs. I've got more dangerous power in my little finger."

"I don't doubt that. I've always considered you very dangerous," Godric chuckled, but grew serious pretty quickly. "When it comes to the witch, I trust your judgment. If you trust her, so do I."

* * *

><p>Sookie was once again staring out through the window of a car, but this time, the landscape wasn't covered in snow. She couldn't really tell if she was happy about being back in Bond Temps, but there wasn't anything she could do about it, so she might as well have a positive attitude. The plane ride had gone smoothly; Godric and Eric had slept through it, leaving her and Vilda to entertain themselves. Sookie found that she really had missed the elf, and it was nice talking to someone. Vilda had a way of making her forget about their problems for awhile, and Sookie mostly sat quietly and listened as she talked about how everyday life had been the recent weeks. It was comforting to hear that life had moved on outside her little bubble. Now, due to some very strong pills to prevent motion sickness, Vilda was the one sleeping, while Godric drove and Eric just sat and stared wearily out a window.<p>

Soon, they were driving down a familiar road, and Sookie felt her somber mood lighten. Regardless of what may be in store for them, for now she felt glad to be home. Trying to explain her long absence to her friends, or more likely the whole town, wouldn't be easy, but she'd figure it out. And if she couldn't come up with a good enough story, she would just have to live with the gossip. After all, she'd been Crazy Sookie for 26 years, surely she could handle anything the gossip machine had to throw at her.

They turned a corner and her old white house became visible up ahead. Sookie was relieved to find that it was still in one piece. Godric pulled up the driveway and parked.

"What a beautiful house!" Vilda had awakened the second the car stopped, and was outside surprisingly fast. _Those pills sure wore off quickly. _Sookie climbed out after her, although not as energetically due to the enormous jetlag that had caught up with her.

"Thank you. Though it has been in better shape," she said as she studied the white façade, thinking of the repaint it needed.

"It's perfect," Vilda protested. "There's an amazing energy around it. You can feel it by just looking at it." She stood frozen and stared at the old building, seemingly lost in her own mind. Sookie smiled crookedly and left the elf to her thoughts, turning around towards the car. Eric and Godric were standing facing each other, conversing in Swedish.

"Just don't take too long. It will be dawn soon." Godric switched to English. Eric nodded, and moved away from the car as his maker climbed back in.

"Vilda!" Godric called to the redhead, who was still "feeling the energy". "If you want a ride to Shreveport, you have to come now." Vilda broke out from her trance and made her way to the car. She stopped to give Sookie a hug.

"I'll see you soon. Take care now."

"I will," Sookie answered and hugged her back. Vilda waved slightly as she climbed into the vehicle. The car roared to life and Sookie watched as it turned around and disappeared down the dark road. She watched for a moment, before turning to face Eric, who was approaching slowly.

"We should go inside," she said, glancing at the sky to see if dawn was near. "Maybe you could sleep in my wardrobe again, if you don't mind of course-"

"Sookie," Eric interrupted her rambling carefully. "I'm going back to my house." Sookie quieted immediately.

"Oh," she said dumbly, "I thought…"

"You need to take care of yourself now," Eric said and took her gently by the arms. "You've barely slept in weeks-"

"Neither have you." Now, it was Sookie's turn to interrupt, but she regretted her words as soon as they'd left her mouth. She turned her eyes to an undetermined spot on Eric's chest. "I don't want to take care of myself. Not if it means being separated from you."

"It's not permanent," Eric pointed out. "Just until you've settled in. Remember, you probably have a few people wondering where you've been for so long."

"They aren't important," Sookie blurted out, but realized that protesting further wouldn't change things. Eric had made up his mind, and even though she didn't like it, she had to accept it. "Will you be okay?" she sighed, looking up at him.

"Everything will be okay," he whispered, and leaned his forehead against hers. For a moment she thought he would kiss her, but the thought had barely formed in her mind before she felt a movement in the air and found herself standing alone on the lawn.

_I know there's a lot of angst but I distinctly remember warning you in the beginning of the story;) But of course it won't be all gloom and doom, even though it may seem so right now. Please hang in there and have faith in me._

_Leave a review, share your thoughts_


	9. Chapter 9

_Hi… I'm not sure where to begin. First of all, I'm so sorry for my long absence. Please don't hate me. Life has been a bitch, and this chapter took forever to write. I won't bore you with the details. Hopefully, I can get back to updating regularly again. A huge thanks to my amazing beta, LostInSpace33, for waiting so patiently and encouraging me._

_As for the story, this chapter takes place during the first days back in Bond Temps. For convenience, Nan doesn't know that Godric met the sun. I'm pretty sure she knew that in the show, but everything would just be too complicated if she did in this story. And I had enough trouble putting this chapter together as it was;)_

**Chapter 9**

The Moon Goddess. Vilda couldn't help smiling at the sign hoisted above the door to Marnie's shop. With the full moon shining coldly down at the building, the name felt somewhat justified, but she doubted that was the case during the daylight hours. Everything always seemed more mystical during the night, and she guessed that was the reason for Marnie's odd choice of operating hours. Even though it was nearly midnight, her friend was still there closing up.

She knocked, and footsteppes approached.

"Vilda!" Marnie exclaimed as she opened the door. "My dear friend, it has been too long." She gave the elf a warm hug.

"It has," Vilda agreed and hugged her back. Marnie smiled and studied her.

"You haven't aged a day," she stated.

"That makes two of us then," Vilda said and winked. Marnie chuckled and shook her head.

"Come in now," she said and gestured for her to enter the building. "I'll give you the full tour."

Said and done, Marnie showed her around the shop, from the shelves filled with thick, dusty books, to the large collection of different dried herbs and other ingredients for potions.

Ten minutes later, they were sitting on the floor of what Marnie had described as the "common room." Silence had rested between them for many minutes now, and Vilda began to suspect that Marnie had something on her mind she was considering whether to tell her. Her thoughts were confirmed as Marnie suddenly broke the silence.

"I've started a coven," she said, and Vilda instantly felt her heart sink.

"A coven?" She questioned, gaining a nod. "Marnie, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Why shouldn't it be?" Marnie looked honestly surprised, and Vilda had to remind herself of the fact that despite that her friend was wise in most things, she could also be very naïve.

"Well for starters, you really should think twice about gathering people to play with witchcraft," Vilda began. She didn't go into the deeper facts, such as the danger in messing with the natural order of things or upsetting Mother Nature by disrespecting her laws. As a solitude witch, Marnie wasn't much of a threat to anyone or anything, but with a coven, she could possibly do some damage –even though Vilda was convinced she wouldn't do it on purpose. It was just that Marnie had a way of… messing things up.

As she'd suspected, Marnie waved her concern off. "You talk," she chuckled. "We're just a group of people who want's to explore the more mystical sides of life together. What harm can we do?"

"Well as long as you don't hurt anyone…" Vilda said hesitantly. "Or anything," she added. "I guess it's nothing to worry about." They left the subject and moved on in the conversation, but Vilda couldn't stop her thoughts from being somewhere else. Even though she dreaded his reaction, she would have to talk to Godric about this. She didn't look forward to it.

* * *

><p>Pam tapped her fingers against the desk in an uncharacteristic nervous gesture. She looked at the clock for the tenth time that minute, repressing a sigh. Godric had absolutely no respect for other people's time. He was supposed to be here half an hour ago. <em>Stupid arrogant-<em> she stopped herself. What would Eric say if he knew she thought of his maker like that? Yet she couldn't help feeling disgruntled with Godric. She had a feeling he was hiding a lot about Eric's condition for her, and she didn't like being kept outside things. Especially when it came to Eric's wellbeing.

"Pam." She jumped at the sound of a familiar voice pulling her from her thoughts. Godric entered the office and closed the door behind him. For a moment, Pam felt conflicted. Part of her wanted to say something about his disability to come in time, but she stopped herself. To be honest, just seeing Godric's unreadable, ancient eyes made her feel a bit uncomfortable. Not scared; Pam wasn't scared of anything, but the unease was there.

"Hi." She stood up, avoiding his eyes. "Is Eric…?"

"At home," Godric answered. "If he's not out running somewhere." Pam tried not to feel disappointed. There were more important things to focus on than sulking because she missed her maker.

"Nan should be here any minute," she said. "What's the plan?" Godric didn't answer, but quickly put a finger over his lips, gesturing for her to be silent. Ignoring this, Pam opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but she was cut short. The door burst open and Nan Flanagan entered, accompanied by her usual squad of guards. Her eyebrows raised in surprise as she laid eyes on Godric, who stood leaned against the desk, keeping a blank face. She quickly regained her composure, and gestured for her guards to go outside to keep possible eavesdroppers away. Not until the door had been closed, she decided to speak.

"I didn't expect to find you here Godric," she said and folded her arms over her chest. Godric merely raised an eyebrow, not offering an explanation. Nan didn't seem to want one either.

"Now even though I'm sure there's a fascinating story about where you've been the latest… year, I really can't be bothered with it right now. I can't help noticing there's a person missing from this nice family reunion."

Pam resisted the urge to roll her eyes after a warning look from Godric. Nan eyed them questioningly, before sighing in frustration. "Well? Where is Eric?"

"Not here," Godric said calmly. Nan just stared at him, expecting a further explanation.

"Not here?"

"As I'm sure you can see," Godric replied. "He needed some time to rest after the long flight. Surely, you have more important things to worry about." Nan stood quiet for a while, obviously trying to figure out what Godric was playing at. Only a slight tension around her mouth revealed her thoughts.

"Fine," she said at last. "I do have more important things to deal with, you are right about that. You'll get one more week. I reckon he'll be well by then after such a long absence."

"But-" Pam attempted to protest, but stopped herself after a quick look from Godric.

"Is there a problem?"

"No," Godric said before Pam got the chance to answer. "But may I ask why you are so eager to speak with my progeny?"

"Northman needs to know his place," Nan said coldly. "He can't just run off for six months without facing any consequences. The Authority is very displeased with his disloyal behavior."

"I can assure you that Eric is nothing if not loyal." Godric replied in an –if possible- even colder tone.

"We'll see about that." Nan left the room with her usual striding walk, closing the door with a loud pang. Pam and Godric stood quietly and waited for her steps to fade.

"What was that about?" Pam said with barely restrained frustration when she was sure Nan was beyond earshot. She should be relieved that Nan had been so weirdly cooperative, but she had a distinct feeling that something wasn't right about it. "I thought we were supposed to keep that bitch away from Eric."

"I'm just as concerned as you are, Pamela." Godric's calm attitude just angered Pam further. "But there's nothing we can do to change the situation. We must act like nothing's wrong. The less suspicious Nan is, the easier she'll be on Eric."

"We should have done something. Preferably ripped her head off," Pam snarled, but didn't get much of a reaction from the older vampire.

"It will be dawn in a few hours," Godric said, seemingly ignoring her anger. "I need to get back to Eric." Pam bit back a snippy reply and answered with a stiff nod. She kept her gaze sternly at the floor, waiting for him to leave, but as she looked up again, he was still in the doorway.

"If you want to see him, you have to come with me," he said, a faint smile ghosting over his lips as Pam dropped her blank mask for a moment.

"Do-" the words got stuck in her throat, and she had to swallow an annoying lump in her throat. "Do you think he wants to see me?"

"He needs to get used to having people around him again," Godric said. "It's probably best to start with someone he trusts." Pam nodded, not wanting to risk her voice betraying her again, and followed Godric as he left the office. Automatically, she called out to Ginger, telling her to close up for the night, but she didn't bother to stay to hear her reply.

* * *

><p>Sookie took a strengthening breath and checked her appearance one last time in the rearview mirror. After a ridiculously long shower, a few hours in the sun and two days sleeping, she could finally recognize her own reflection. She had postponed her official return to Bond Temps until she felt that she was ready to face the public, and now she was. At least more or less.<p>

She braced herself, and emerged from her car, glad that the parking lot outside Merlotte's was free from people. Before she could change her mind, she made her way to the door and swung it open. Laughter, loud voices and the smell of food hit her like a wave as she entered the familiar bar and grill.

"Sookie!" The first one to notice her presence was Tara, and soon Sookie had been pulled into a warm hug by her friend.

"Where have you been girl?" Tara exclaimed and hugged her tighter. "I've been so worried."

"I'm sorry," Sookie mumbled, feeling chocked up. "I know I should've called but-" She cut herself off when someone grabbed her from behind and more or less tore her away from Tara. Startled, she turned to discover that it was Sam holding her arm.

"Sam!" she exclaimed, too surprised to get anything more out. Sam didn't answer, but strode off towards his office, dragging her with him.

"Sam Merlotte, what do you think you're doing?" Sookie hissed as he slammed the door shut. "I don't appreciate being pushed around-"

"Where have you been?" Sam interrupted her, and Sookie jumped slightly at his sharp tone.

"Well I-" Sam didn't let her finish.

"You've been gone for over six months, Sookie!" he bellowed, causing Sookie to back away from him. "How could you do that? Have you any idea how worried I've been? How worried Jason has been?" He paused for a moment to breathe, and Sookie took her chance to explain.

"I was just on vacation with Eric-" She didn't get the chance to finish this time either.

"Last time I checked, a "few weeks off", which was what you told me you needed, didn't last half a year," Sam continued his rant. "And how could you be so stupid that you let Eric Northman just sweep you out of the country? We all thought you were dead!" The door burst open and Tara entered the room.

"For God's sake keep it down Sam," she hissed and slammed the door after her. "The whole bar can here you."

"You should be just as upset as me," Sam retorted, turning his anger toward Tara instead of Sookie for a moment.

"Of course I was upset she disappeared like that," Tara snapped. "But right now, I'm glad I've gotten by best friend back in one piece. We have no idea what she's been through, and maybe you should think about that before you start shouting at her." Sookie felt endlessly grateful towards her friend. Sam apparently saw reason, for when he spoke again, his voice had dropped several levels.

"Yeah… you're right." He actually looked a bit ashamed over his outburst. "Are you okay Sookie?" he asked sheepishly.

"I'm fine," Sookie assured him, deciding to overlook his behavior. After all, she understood his worry. "Nothing dramatic happened. We just had such a great time being away together we kind of… forgot the time." She tried to sound convincing, and despite her poor lie, Sam and Tara seemed to buy it. Sam rolled his eyes and sighed, but didn't throw another tantrum, while Tara just smiled.

"I should slap you for making me worry so much," she said and gave Sookie another hug. "But I'm so glad to have you back I'll let it pass." Sookie felt it as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It was comforting to have Tara's support. She had reacted better than Sookie ever could've imagined, and a good friend was just what she needed right now.

_I hope you liked it, despite all the different POVs and the scene swapping. In the next chapter, you'll get Pam's and Eric's reunion, as well as more Eric and Sookie time. _

_I really need your reviews, so if you haven't given up on me, drop a line and tell me what you think. _


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Four weeks. Again. I hate to disappoint you, I really do, but when you're hit by a bad writer's block, there's not much to do. Let's just leave it at that._

_The italics are lines said in Swedish. It's more esthetically pleasing than writing long lines in actual Swedish, and then translate. _

_Lots of love to my beta, LostInSpace33 for still putting up with me. And to all of you who're still reading, and reviewing. You mean so much to me, you really do_ :) 

**Chapter 10**

Eric leaned his forehead against the window, trying to ease the restlessness crawling in his body. Up until now, he'd moved around constantly, with exception of daylight hours when Godric had forced him to rest. He hated those hours. He still found it close to impossible to find peace in his daytime rest, and knowing that all it would bring him was nightmares, he dreaded the sunrise. During the night he tried to keep himself occupied, mostly by running or flying. Coming back to Shreveport had given him so much to think about, and no matter how he tried, he couldn't sort it out. Was he ever going to be able to return to his sheriff duties? What would Nan Flanagan do if she discovered the truth about his whereabouts? And Sookie… there was a lot to think about concerning her. Altogether, it was too much, and even though Godric told him not to worry, to concentrate on himself, Eric didn't want to do that either. He thought he'd concentrated enough on himself. He'd patched himself back together, pushed back most of the bad feelings. Now, he was just terribly restless.

A faint stirring told him that he should feed. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had any blood, but strangely enough, he wasn't hungry. Despite this, he forced himself to leave his place curled up in a large window, and make his way to the kitchen. He pulled out a TruBlood. Heating it up seemed meaningless –it would taste like shit anyway- and he took a large swig of the metallic tasting liquid. Just as he'd anticipated, it tasted awful, and his stomach protested. After forcing over half the content down, he decided that it was enough. Tossing the bottle into the trash, he reverted back to his window overlooking the backyard.

A key rattled in a lock, and the sound of the front door opening reached him. Godric was home.

"Eric?" Godric called through the house. Eric knew that his maker could feel his presence.

"I'm here," he said, knowing Godric would have no problem hearing him.

Godric said something to someone else, but Eric was not paying attention and didn't hear it. When focusing, he could to his surprise hear Pam's voice, and soon, the sound of her heels clicking against the wooden boards in the stairs. Instead of just marching in like she usually did, Pam knocked carefully on the door before entering. Eric kept looking out the window, but he could feel her standing in the doorway, studying him. He shifted slightly in his seat, uncomfortable under her gaze as he knew that he didn't look like himself. The silence in the room became very oppressive, and he forced himself to turn his attention from the window to Pam.

Pam stood frozen, trying to take in what she was seeing. Was that really her Eric? Millions of feelings whirled through her in a confusing mix. Happiness for finally having him home again, and yet a bitter sadness and anger. Because as much as it was her maker sitting there, it was as if a piece of him was missing. Something vital had disappeared from the blue eyes, something that might never return.

She approached slowly, feeling as if she was facing a frightened animal, that any second would either attack or flee. At first, it really looked as if Eric might do something like that, but to her relief, he seemed to relax as she kept her façade calm and collected. Even more surprising was that when she was just a few feet away, he reached out for her. Pam gratefully leaned into the offered embrace, burying her face against his chest as the first bloody tears escaped her eyes. Eric wrapped his arms around her hesitantly, and Pam found comfort in the familiarity. No words were spoken. None were needed.

Their moment was interrupted as doorbell rang, and the sudden sound made Eric twitch. Pam quickly stepped away from him,

"Hello?" A hesitant voice called through the house.

"Sookie?" Eric mumbled, furrowing his brow. He stared at the door, then glanced at Pam, as if asking for some kind of permission.

"Go to her," Pam said, forcing herself to overlook her annoyance at Sookie's visit. Eric settled his feet onto the floor and looked down at her, lightly brushing his fingers over her cheek.

"_I'm glad you came," _he whispered. Pam bit her tongue to keep herself from beginning to weep. _"I've missed you." _

"_I've missed you too," _she choked out, hating the sound of her teary voice. _"So much." _And then she had to reach up to wipe a few suborn tears away. God, she hated crying. Eric shouldn't have to deal with her being like this. It was enough that one of them was a mess.

"Go to your little fairy now," she said, giving him the best smirk she could muster.

"Will you be okay?" Eric wondered.

"Of course," Pam assured. "Go." Eric smiled at her before disappearing through the door. It wasn't a very bright smile, but it was something. Pam took a shaky breath, collecting herself, before deciding that she might as well find Godric and go back to discussing the whole Nan problem now, while she was here. She would bring up that solution of simply killing the bitch, which to her seemed like the far most satisfying one.

Eric found Sookie standing in the hallway, looking very lost.

"I'm sorry to barge in like this," she said apologetically fiddling with her hair. "I was working a late shift, and then I-I couldn't sleep… I missed you… and-" she began tripping over her own words, and Eric walked up to her.

"Stop apologizing," he said, carefully taking her hands in his to stop her nervous movements. "I couldn't be happier to see you." Sookie let out a shallow sigh in relief and her hands left his as she wrapped her arms around him. Eric returned the hug, glad that he could at least give her that much.

When dawn came, they were lying in the large bed in Eric's daytime chamber, fingers entwined and faces only a few inches apart. It was a good distance. Safe.

"How has it been?" Sookie asked softly and stroked his knuckles with her thumb. "Being back home I mean." Eric kept studying their hands, trying to find an answer to her question. He knew what she wanted him to say, knew that she wanted him to open up to her.

"Can't we… talk about you instead?" he mumbled, glancing up at her.

"Sure. I'll tell," Sookie smiled. "I've worked on perfecting a long fake story and telling it to everyone who's asked where I've been for so long. And either I'm a better liar than I thought, or people are getting dumber, but no one seems to suspect a thing. Not even Jason. Although that shouldn't' surprise me. He's a loving brother and all, but to be honest, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed." She let out a small laugh, and Eric found himself smiling. His eyelids felt heavy, and he closed them, feeling that sleep wasn't far away.

"Oh I'm sorry," Sookie cut herself off in a sudden whisper. "I'm blabbering and you're trying to sleep. I'll be quiet."

"No," Eric mumbled and moved his head in a small shake. "Please keep talking." Sookie was silent for a moment.

"Okay," she then whispered, shifting slightly in the bed to move closer. Eric briefly felt that familiar stir of unease, but after a deep intake of breath, he could relax again. It was just his Sookie. Nothing to worry about. Sookie kept talking about her day in a very hushed, soothing tone, and soon he felt sleep pulling in him again. Like a lullaby, her voice sent him into his daytime rest, and at that moment Eric felt nothing but peace. When he drifted off, a faint smile lingered on his face, and even though the vampire couldn't see it, that brought a happy smile to Sookie's lips as well.

_A/N: That's the end of this chapter. Let's hope it won't be four weeks until we see each other again. I'll do my best, I promise, but one never knows. Those muses are tricky…._

_I'd love to hear your thoughts, so leave a review if you feel like sharing._


	11. Chapter 11

_Here comes a slightly longer chapter, and we take a step forward in the plot. It was hard to put together and I struggled a bit, but after many rewrites I was finally happy with it. I hope you'll like it :) _

_I might as well take the bad news now, instead of at the end of the chapter: there won't be any updates until the end of May. It's a long break, I know, and I hate making you wait, but I've got some major exams coming up in school that will crave all my attention. Grades will be fought for, sleep will be a low priority and for the upcoming month, studying will be my life. Feel the joy! Also note the sarcasm. Well, spring seems to be a busy time for everyone**, **so at least I'm not alone... _

_On with reading the chapter now. And you know I love it when you leave a review afterward_ :)

**Chapter 11**

Vilda sat on the floor with her legs crossed and a large book settled in front of her. Outside the window of the small room over the Moon Goddess, the sun was setting, and from the shop downstairs, the muffled sound of some kind of chanting was heard. She had politely turned down Marnie's offer on participating in whatever witchery she and her friends were to engage in tonight. Not because of lack of interest, but she had arranged with Godric to meet with a person that possibly could help Eric. Ian had seemed nice over the phone, and she had hopes for this, but she reminded herself not to get too hopeful. No decisions could be made until they'd actually met him in person.

The last rays of sun disappeared below the horizon and she put the book down and rose to leave the room. As silently as she could, she descended the stairs. It seemed rude to disturb whatever Marnie was up to. She couldn't help but have a quick peek through the door, though. Marnie was sitting on the floor with ten other people. They had formed a circle and joined hands, seeming to be in deep concentration. Vilda watched curiously for a second or two before deciding to leave the group to their…. meditation. She had things to do.

* * *

><p>Godric had awakened early, before the sun had even set, and he waited patiently until his body told him it would be safe to leave the room. On his way through the underground corridor leading through the large basement, he decided to check on Eric before he left.<p>

He carefully opened the door to Eric's bedroom, finding that both he and Sookie were sound asleep on the bed. Eric had a serene expression on his face, and there were no traces of blood on his pale skin. It was a relief to see that his child had had the first peaceful rest in a long time. At least he hadn't woken up and gotten the bleeds like so many other days. Godric lingered in the doorway for a moment before remembering that he had to get going. Vilda had said it would be a long drive.

An hour later he was next to her in a car moving down a dark road, bitterly regretting letting the elf drive, despite knowing that maneuvering vehicles wasn't her strong side. Nor was dealing with anything mechanical, really. He just hoped they would both make it to their destination in one piece. Or well…two pieces. The car's tires screamed as Vilda made a sharp turn without slowing down even a fraction. Had she gone a little faster, Godric was positive the car would be lying upside down in a ditch, or smashed against a tree now. They had passed the last houses miles ago and were now driving through an area that consisted of mostly trees, and the darkness really wasn't helping the situation. Sure, Godric saw just as well as ever, but how did that help when Vilda was the one holding the wheel?

"Relax, will you," Vilda sighed and glanced at him, sensing that the vampire wasn't exactly at peace with the situation. "We're almost there."

"Just keep your eyes on the road," Godric said, thinking of all the animals that risked ending up like road kill. Vilda shook her head but turned back to look straight ahead.

"You worry to much," she stated.

"Do I need to remind you that if we crash, I will most likely survive. It's you I'm worried about," Godric retorted.

"Nah, I'll make sure the trees jump out of our way if we make an unexpected turn," Vilda smirked. Godric didn't push the matter further.

After a few more minutes, the trees cleared out and a large silhouette became visible through the darkness. Even though only the roof of the house was visible over the wall, you could see that it was a large building. It had to be at least three stories high.

"Wow," Vilda breathed out as her eyes raked over the intimidating wall. "Someone here likes their privacy."

She stopped the car by the iron gates and climbed out. Godric followed, eyes fastened on the large building –mansion- that towered in the distance. It looked old, probably late 1800's, and embedded in green it really was quite beautiful. But the wall and the locked gates still made him feel suspicious.

"The security here seems to be very… secure," Vilda mumbled as she studied the camera that looked down on them from its place at the top of the gate pole. She waved and shot a smile in its direction.

"Hello there," someone called from the distance. Godric turned his attention to the owner of the voice. A middle-aged man with black hair and ivory pale skin approached them on the gravel path. He realized at once that it was a vampire, although actual age was hard to tell. The man walked up to the gate and looked up at the camera, raising his hand in wave. There was a mewling sound as the gates slowly opened.

"I'm Ian Thomson," the man said and reached out a hand for Vilda to take. "You must be Vilda."

"Yes," Vilda replied as she shook hands with him. "We spoke over the phone yesterday." Ian nodded and then turned to Godric.

"And I guess you are Godric?" Godric nodded and gave his hand a polite shake.

"I apologize for the prison like feeling," Ian said and gestured towards the camera and the high gates as they began walking toward the building. "But as I'm sure you understand, security is very important at a place like this."

"Many people to keep inside?" Vilda asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

"No," Ian assured and shook his head. "It's to keep people out. Many of the vampires we have staying here are very fragile, if you can imagine that." They entered the house through the heavily built front door and a warmly lit hallway welcomed them. Just as the outside, the inside of the mansion was old-fashioned in style, with ornamented ledges by the high ceiling and light, cream colored wallpaper. At the sides of the room there were open vaults that led to other, even bigger rooms. However, Ian continued to the stairs on the opposite side and Godric had no time to study these features further.

"My office is on the second floor," Ian explained as he began climbing the stairs. "I think that's the best place for talking." Two corridors stretched on both sides of the staircase and Ian led them down one of them. They passed several closed doors that Godric assumed were bedrooms.

"I'm curious," he said. "How long have you had this place?"

"Well," Ian began, taking a deep breath, as if preparing to tell a quite long story. "The house and the grounds belonged to my maker. I inherited them when he passed away about two decades ago." He paused, and both Vilda and Godric were about to say something about being sorry for his loss, but he picked up the story again. "I came up with the idea of turning it into this… retreat, I guess you could call it… about four years ago. A few months after the great revelation." They reached the end of the hallway and a door that looked pretty much like all the others, however, this one seemed to be their destination. Ian opened it, revealing an office with large windows overlooking the garden.

"I had a sister, or blood sister at least. We had the same maker," he continued and moved to sit behind the desk, gesturing for Vilda and Godric to take a seat opposite to it. "She wasn't very old, not even a century when it happened. Just after vampires exposing themselves to the public, and vampire blood becoming the new thing on the drug market, she was attacked by drainers." He paused again and let the silence fill the room for a long moment. Ian's tone was riddled with sadness when he began again.

"She was gone for three months, and when she was found again, she wasn't herself anymore. Having her freedom taken away from her turned out to be the worst thing that could've happened. She lost her life spark, and despite my best efforts, I lost her to the darkness that consumed her. She met the sun two months after her return."

"I'm sorry," Godric remarked honestly. He was all too familiar with the feeling. Ian nodded thoughtfully and let out a silent breath.

"It was a horrible feeling, seeing her wither away like she did. Especially since I knew I should've been able to help her. But what she needed was someone else, someone without any personal bonds. There was no one to turn to, though. After all, vampires are expected to be ruthless killers without emotions. Even though that might be true in many cases, it's not a general truth. My theory was that some just needed some healing, and I realized that this place could be a good place to do it." Ian quieted and the room fell silent as both Vilda and Godric processed what he'd just told them. Godric felt conflicted. Ian seemed genuine and reliable, but then again, he was a psychologist. He probably knew exactly what to say to make people trust him. At the moment though, he was running out of options, and Eric's condition was deeply worrying. He doubted that his child would be keen on the idea of talking to a psychologist, even less so staying at a mental institution, but again, what other options did they have? It might be worth a try.

"I understand that this is a lot to take in," Ian said. "But if I'm going to be able to help you, you have to trust me. Judging from what Vilda told me, I really do believe your child needs help from a professional."

"What are your methods?" Godric asked without changing his blank expression. "What can you do to help?"

"I can do the things any psychologist would do," Ian replied calmly. "And so can the rest of my staff. Talking mostly, though it depends on the situation. The difference is that most psychologists consider it too risky to work with a traumatized vampire who could snap at any moment and kill them."

"And you don't?" Vilda asked skeptically.

"I'm a little harder to take down than a human," Ian assured her. "And as you've probably guessed, security is a high priority here." He turned his attention back to Godric, who still wasn't convinced. How could he be? How could he possibly trust anyone with Eric's damaged soul?

"Here's what we'll do," Ian said, noticing Godric's hesitation. "You've got my phone number. Go home, think about it, and if you ever need me, I'm just a phone call away."

* * *

><p>"I liked him," Vilda said as they walked down the gravel path toward the iron gates. "It felt like he genuinely cared."<p>

"But you like everyone," Godric retorted and cast her a skeptical look.

"Not true," the elf protested. "I do not like my rude mailman who never deliverers my letters on time. I think he purposely forgets about my address just because the road is so bumpy." The comment earned her a crooked smile and she let out a short laugh before growing serious again.

"Really think about it Godric," she said in a soft tone. "If Ian could help Eric even the slightest, wouldn't it be worth a try? What is there to lose?" Godric did think about it. He looked at the situation from every angle he could think of, and yet, just like before, no ideas came to mind.

"I'm just not sure Eric would be better off in a place like this," he sighed. Vilda put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"At least talk to him about it," she tried, and Godric nodded. He would talk to Eric. It was the only right thing to do. Maybe this could actually be a turning point.


	12. Chapter 12

****_Hi, remember me? I'm the one with the sucky updating... Well, at least this time, I warned you_;)_ My exams are over, and the school year too. And not a day too early. I was on the verge of having some kind of break down there... With True Blood season 5 finally out, it seemed to be the perfect time to get back to writing. Although this story has very little to do with what's going on with the show at the moment._

_I'll let you get on with reading! Tell me what you think, your reviews are always gold! _

_Thanks to my very patient beta LostInSpace33 for editing the chapter. Any remaining mistakes are entirely my own. _

**Chapter 12**

It was a sharp ringing that finally pulled Sookie from her deep slumber as it invaded her peaceful dreams. She snapped her eyes open and scrambled to find the source of the noise, discovering much to her surprise that it was her cellphone. It was lodged under her, still in her jeans pocket, and she had to leave her position curled up by the sleeping Eric's side to get it.

"Sookie," she rasped sleepily as she finally got hold of it.

"Sookie!" The voice on the other end was clearly upset. "Where the hell are you? Your shift started an hour ago!" Panic washed over her and her brain seemed to finally emerge from the fog. She pulled the phone away from her ear to check the time, and a tight knot formed in her stomach. 8 pm. _How is it possible that I slept the whole day away?_

"Sookie," Sam barked through the phone again. "Are you even listening?"

"I-I'm here," she stuttered as she virtually flew up from the bed and frantically began to search the room for her jacket and shoes. "I'm so sorry… I'll be there in twenty." If Sam replied she didn't hear it because she had already hung up.

After a minute of searching, she retrieved her shoes from under the bed and her jacket from the foot of it. She put the shoes on and was about to rush out of the room when she suddenly stopped, hit by a thought. Her gaze traveled to Eric, who still was dead to the world curled up on the bed. He looked peaceful, happy, and it broke her heart that she had to leave him. Even more so as she realized how vulnerable her vampire was when resting. It was odd that he hadn't woken up, considering that the sun must've set over an hour ago, and this added to her reluctance to leave.

"Godric?" she called out for the vampire as she made her way out in the cellar hallway and toward his room. There was no answer, and when she opened the door after giving it a brief knock, she discovered that it was empty. She turned and took the stairs up to the first floor of the house.

"Godric!" Her voice raised to a shout as the frustration began to boil in her. When there was still no answer, nor any sign of the vampire, she had to accept the fact that he wasn't there. Even Sam couldn't let her keep her job if she didn't show up tonight. Furthermore, it would seriously harm their friendship if she just bailed on him again. But Eric's safety was more important, she didn't even have to think twice about it. Eric was more important than anything. Then a solution hit her.

Pam.

Sookie let out a small laugh in relief as her conflicted mind was given some peace. She pulled up her cellphone again and dialed the number while she went to make sure the heavy steel door that secured the cellar was properly locked. Pam answered after just a few seconds.

"Pam here."

"Pam," she said a little too loudly as she moved toward the front door. "It's Sookie."

"I can hear that," Pam drawled. "What can I do for my favorite fairy tonight?"

"I need your help with something," Sookie began, cutting herself off with a sigh when she realized that she needed to find a key to lock the door behind her. Surely there had to be one around here somewhere. She began to search the hallway for a cabinet or something similar.

"As much fun as it is listening to your breathing," Pam said when she had been quiet for too long. "I do have other things to tend to, so if you could get to the point, that would be lovely."

"It's Eric," Sookie replied quickly, knowing that would get the vampire's attention. She was right.

"Has something happened?"

"No." She finally found a key in the top drawer of a bureau and smiled triumphantly to herself. Now she could leave the house and lock the door safely behind her. "Things have just gotten a bit tangled so to speak. I need to get to work, but Eric is still sleeping. There's no one else in the house, and I really don't want to leave him alone." She didn't have to say more.

"I'm on my way," Pam said. "Pam's babysitting service to the rescue. You just go and carry food to people. I'll be at Eric's house in just a few minutes."

"Oh, thank you," Sookie breathed out in relief. "Tell him I'll be back sometime after midnight."

"I will," the vampire promised. "Bye now."

"Bye," she said, hanging up just as she reached her car and could throw the door open and get in.

It wasn't until she was on the road that she could finally start to relax. Having this kind of awakening definitely wasn't ideal, but at least things had worked out alright. Pam would be with Eric, and she herself would hopefully be at work. If only Sam was in a good mood tonight, and could overlook her enormous delay.

* * *

><p>Pam unlocked the front door to her maker's house just ten minutes after Sookie's slightly hysterical phone call. What would the little fairy princess do without her? Although Pam had to admit she really didn't mind. She looked forward to getting some time alone with her maker. Even though Eric was but a shadow of his former self, she wanted to be there for him. It hurt, seeing him like this, but Pam was strong. <em>Eric<em> had made her strong, and she was set on doing the same for him.

Just as Sookie had said, Eric was sleeping when she entered his room. She was tempted to wake him up, for patience had never been her strong suit, but she reminded herself that if her maker was still sleeping, he probably needed it. So she sat down at the foot of the bed and began scrolling through unanswered emails on her phone, waiting for him to wake up.

She had time to both read and answer all of the work related emails before a soft moan made her turn her attention to Eric, who was now beginning to stir ever so slightly. His eyelids fluttered, and after moving about for a little while longer, he opened his eyes and looked around sleepily. His gaze fell on Pam and he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Morning," she greeted, even though it was technically out of context.

"Morning…" Eric mumbled and sat up, still scanning the room with a confused look on his face. "What time is it?"

"Oh, you just overslept a few hours," Pam waved his concern off. "Sookie called me in a bit of a frenzy about an hour ago. She had to get to work, so I took over watching you. She said she'd be back some time after midnight." Eric nodded absently before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and standing up.

"I'm just going to take a shower," he said and began making his way through the hallway.

"I'll heat up some blood for you," she said and followed him up the stairs. "You look like you need it." Eric nodded distractedly, then disappeared down the hall to the bathroom. Pam made her way into the kitchen, rummaging through her purse to find the blood bag the hospital had so kindly… donated. She wasn't exactly in her element in the kitchen, but heating up a blood bag should be within her abilities. Well, at least if she could find the microwave…

After about a half hour, the pipes quieted down, and a few minutes later Eric entered the kitchen, wearing a pair of jeans and a large hooded shirt. It was a very stark contrast to the skintight wife-beaters he usually wore, and Pam couldn't help thinking that the shirt made him look oddly small. She was on the verge of saying something, but bit her tongue before letting anything slip. She was nothing if not free spoken, but she had a distinct feeling this was something she should shut up about. Instead, she handed her maker the glass in which she'd poured the heated blood. Eric silently accepted it, before moving to sit by the table, settling the glass in front of himself. Pam took a chair opposite him and folded her arms together over her chest, looking expectantly from Eric to the glass.

"Drink."

Eric raised his eyebrows and offered her a skeptical half-smirk. "Since when do you order me around?"

"Since you can't take care of yourself," Pam replied. Eric looked as if he was about to protest, but seemed to see reason and took a swig of blood instead. Pam watched with a satisfied smile.

"Being a sheriff seems to have increased your already bossy attitude," Eric pointed out and put the glass down. Pam smirked.

"Well, I do enjoy bossing people around," she said. "Although I could get by without all the paperwork. I never could've imagined-" she was cut off by the sound of her cellphone vibrating in her purse. Annoyed with being interrupted, she was about to ignore it when Eric gave her a meaningful look.

"It might be Ginger having some kind of crisis at the bar," he pointed out.

Pam answered immediately. And of course it _was_ Ginger. And _of course_ there was a crisis at the bar. Pam wished she could've strangled the girl through the phone, but had to settle with hissing that she was on her way and hanging up in the most aggressive way possible. Eric watched her with a slightly amused look on his face.

"I can't leave her alone for even a second without things getting fucked up," Pam said, her voice dripping with exasperation. However, she made no effort to leave.

"Aren't you going to go and make sure the bar is still in one piece?" Eric wondered.

"I can't," Pam stated simply. "I'm babysitting you." Eric opened his mouth to protest.

"It's okay Pamela, I can take it from here." Godric was standing in the doorway. Relief washed over Pam, but Eric didn't look too happy.

"Great, because it's not like I could be trusted to be alone for a moment," he muttered. Pam chuckled. It felt comforting to hear Eric say something resembling his old sarcasm. Godric merely smiled benevolently at his defiant child.

"Well I'm off to see how much damage Ginger has managed to do in two hours," Pam said as she rose from her chair, eyeing the half empty glass of blood in front of Eric. "Make sure he drinks the rest of that." She nodded toward it, gaining a nod from Godric and a glare from Eric in return. She responded with a grin, before disappearing from the kitchen at vampire speed.

"Your appetite is still not back," Godric stated as he moved to sit at the table opposite Eric.

"I'm not a baby," Eric said insolently. "I don't need to feed every night."

"Half a bottle of True Blood in one week is not enough," Godric retorted in a tone indicating that the matter was not up for discussion. "But that's not important right now. I need to talk to you about something." He noticed that Eric immediately tensed and became nervous, and reminded himself to tread carefully.

"I spoke to a man named Ian," he began. "He's a psychologist." Eric watched him with wary eyes, but didn't say anything.

"I think he could help you," he continued. "He runs a clinic where he takes care of traumatized vampires." He told Eric about his and Vilda's visit to the mental institution, deciding that it was best to be completely honest with his child.

When he'd finished, Eric was silent for a long time. His body was tense and completely still, not even stirred by breathing.

"That clinic…" He glanced suspiciously at his maker. "What kind of place is it?"

"It's an old estate out on the countryside. I think it would be a safe place for you rest."

"You want to lock me up," his child accused, his eyes betraying fear.

"No, absolutely not." Godric shook his head. "You'd be free to leave whenever you wanted."

"I don't want to go," the younger vampire abruptly cut him off and stood up, turning his back to him as he moved to stand in front of the window. Godric held back a sigh. Although this was the reaction he'd expected, it certainly wasn't the one he'd hoped for.

"I just want to forget," Eric whispered, seemingly to himself, while looking down at his hands as if studying the invisible scars on them. "Why won't he let me forget?" Godric realized he'd lost Eric to his own mind.

"At least think about it," he tried, gaining an absent nod from his child.

They both stood silent for awhile until the sound of car tires on gravel gained Eric's attention. A little yellow car shakily made its way up the driveway, and Eric's face lit up with a bright smile as Sookie climbed out of the vehicle. She looked up toward the window and waved at them, smiling. The haunted look in Eric's eyes faded, and he smiled back at her.

"Do you think it would make Sookie happy if I went to that place?"

"She only wants _you_ to be happy," Godric pointed out. "But in the end, it's what you want that matters."

A thoughtful look settled on Eric's features. "I'll think about it," he said. "I just… need some time."

Godric nodded in response. Unfortunately, with Nan Flanagan and the authority hovering like a looming threat, time was something they were running out of.

_ And a tiny Eric/Pam family moment can't be wrong? Not __much of Eric/Sookie in this chapter, but we'll get back to them in the next one. I also promise that I won't be disappearing for two months again. _


End file.
